There are many shrines in Japan dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a famous poet, scholar and politician from the Heian Period, who after death was deified, becoming Tenjin, the kami of scholarship, literature and calligraphy.

The legend says that during his funerals, the bull pulling the carriage stopped abruptly and refused to go further. So, Sugawara no Michizane was buried on that spot and later, the place became the site of the Dazaifu Tenman-gū Shrine (in Fukuoka), dedicated to Tenjin.

Because of this legend, many shrines dedicated to Tenjin have a large statue representing a bull lying down. This one is from Yushima Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo:

Bull statue, Yushima Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Rokkakudo, the oldest building in Senso-ji