While shrines are naturally places to worship gods, in Tohoku, it seems that demons are often enshrined at shrines. This certainly serves a role similar to the Western "gargoyle," representing "fighting evil with evil," but I feel there's a slight difference in nuance between Japanese demons and Western gargoyles.
　With that in mind, I went to see some "Ko-oni," which are rarely seen outside of the Aomori region. These are demon-shaped objects attached to the torii gates of shrines, and I really enjoyed seeing the variety in color, shape, and expression.　(Nihedon @ KesaranPasaran Lab)