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I looked at "Kirin" and "Kirin" in Nihonbashi at home.
In the NHK Taiga drama series "Kirin ga Kuru" this year (2020), Kirin is treated as a sacred animal that appears in a peaceful reign without war. Certainly, in ancient China, Kirin is regarded as a "Zuikuto" that appears as a "Zuicho", and it seems to be collectively referred to as "Shirei" along with phoenix, Reigame, and Oryu.
By the way, one of the main characters of "Kirin ga Kuru", Nobunaga Oda's Hanaoshi is based on Kirin's "Rin", and there is a theory that his philosophy of realizing a peaceful society is included.
Kirin's appearance is bigger than a deer, his face resembles a dragon, has a cow's tail and horseshoe, has yellow hair, and has scales on the body. I guess there are many people who think of it.
"Kirin Statue" by Nagao Watanabe
I think the four sculptures of the cathedral in the center of the balustrade of Nihonbashi are widely known as the statues of Kirin. Appeared in the movie "Kirin no Tsubasa" by Keigo Higashino, released in January 2012 (Heisei 24), raising awareness.
The current bridge (the 20th generation-although there seem to be various theories) was completed in 1911 and was designated as a national important cultural property in 1999 (Heisei 11). Designed by Shinichi Yonemoto, an engineer in Tokyo, the decoration advisor was architect Yorinaka Tsumaki, and the prototype production of the Kirin statue was sculptor Nagao Watanabe. The casting is Nagao Watanabe's father-in-law and sculptor Yukio Okazaki (the statue of Takamori Saigo in Ueno Park, which was created by Koun Takamura, was also cast).
Designed by Nihonbashi Original
Kirin's personality is warm and is said to hate killing. However, the expression of the Kirin statue in Nihonbashi is fearless than warm, and the whole has a brave and powerful impression.
In addition, Kirin originally had no wings, but this statue was given wings because of the image of flying off Nihonbashi, the base point of Japan's road. In addition, the Kirin statue has different expressions on the left and right, and one side opens its mouth like a komainu or Nio statue, and the other is a pair of Aun.
As a Kirin statue, the statue of Nihonbashi seems to be very unique.
"Kirin Statue" by Izumi Ando
There is also a statue of giraffes in the Nihonbashi area. Have you ever wondered why a giraffe statue is placed at the entrance of the head office building of Starz Corporation in Nihonbashi 3-chome?
The current building (at that time, called the Chushoyu Building) was built in November 1988 (Showa 63), and in April 1989 (Showa 64), this 6-meter-high Kirin statue was installed. It seems to have been.
When we examined the origins online, we found the following description.
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In the past, there was the head office of a company called Tsumura Juntendo, where Kirin was thought to be a symbol of the king in Chinese medicine, and that thought was erected as a work by forging sculptor Izumi Ando.
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Origin of giraffe
In China, during the Ming era, Bengal's mission was said to have dedicated Kirin to Emperor Eiraku (1360-1424) as Kirin ("Meisei So Real Record"). Also, when Zheng He of Ming returned to Japan during the Nankai expedition (the fifth voyage when the dispatch team reached the eastern coast of Africa), he presented the giraffe to Emperor Eiraku with a lion, leopard, ostrich, zebra, etc.
However, I did not understand the relationship between Kirin and Chinese medicine, so I contacted Tsumura Co., Ltd. (the current company name of Tsumura Juntendo Co., Ltd.) by e-mail.
I received a polite answer, but unfortunately there is no record of the reason why it became a giraffe statue. In addition, there were no Chinese herbal medicines or materials related to giraffes, and the meaning of "Kirin is a symbol of the king in Chinese medicine" was unknown.
On the other hand, this giraffe statue plays a role in illuminating the ceiling of the building atrium, and the crown on the head found a description of lighting fixtures on the net. The reason why it became a giraffe statue was extremely functional, and was a tall animal giraffe adopted as a motif to secure the height of the lighting equipment?…。
Unfortunately, when I contacted Stars Corporation by e-mail, I received a reply saying, "It has been turned off for a long time" (the details such as the reason are unknown). One day, when you see the giraffe statue at night that illuminates the ceiling, it may seem like you are there as much as you are.