Suwadaijin Shrine guardian dog statue shows Kanto Earthquake damage

A pair of komainu (guardian dog) statues at the entrance of Suwa Daijinsha in Yokosuka City’s Midorigaoka neighborhood show a clear difference: only the right-hand statue has had the mane on its back melted away. The missing mane is a surviving scar from the Great Kanto Earthquake that struck on 1923-09-01, when fires—reported as tall pillars of flame—scorched parts of the shrine and its stone figures. Locals point to the damaged statue as a tangible reminder of the disaster and its lasting impact on the community.