Traditional Japanese Renjishi Dolls

There's a wide variety of traditional Japanese dolls, sometimes classified by how they are made, other times by what they represent. Most of them are easy to identify: geisha, noble ladies or samurai, but there are some representing less known characters from the Japanese traditional culture, like the Hina Matsuri Dolls, or the Ichimatsu Dolls.

The dolls from today's photo are very popular in Japan and many times I have been asked what they represent... it is clear that they represent Kabuki characters, but what is the story?

They are characters from the Renjishi / Lion Dance Kabuki play, but as strange as it may seem, these are not humans: these are... lions - well, actually shishi, mythological lion-like animals. The white one is the father and the red one is the cub... (^_^)