An exact time for the arrival of lion iconography in the area cannot be ascertained, but according to Professor Chuang Po-ho of Fu Jen Catholic University, who has done research in the field: "Lion Talismans came to Okinawa with the spread of Chinese culture during the 13th and 14th centuries.
琉球何時傳入獅子文化，精確年代已不可考。「從歷史上看，十三、四世紀，中國文化傳入琉球，當時便引進了獅子避邪的觀念。