Okinawan Fairies

Since moving to Okinawa, we've seen these statues all over the place.. near parks, business parking lots... sitting on buildings.. of course, every time I see one, I'm dumbfounded trying to figure out what the heck it's supposed to be. So we finally got the scoop from our sensei (teacher).

Apparently, these pointy-eared, red-haired, diaper-wearing creatures are Okinawan spirits that, according to legend, live in banyan trees and like to play with children.. Or as Americans would call them, fairies or sprites. Oh, and I should mention that they are "good" spirits (they don't look too menacing, really).

The Japanese name for them is Kijimuna.. according to Wikipedia: "Kijimunaa are known for playing harmless pranks. Kijimunaa can also be helpful, but they are quick to change their minds. They enjoy fishing and eating fish. The only thing they fear is the octopus. Belief in kijimunaa is representative of the spiritual power of trees in the Ryukyu belief system."