Nestled in the Mukojima neighborhood in the shadow of the towering Tokyo Skytree, Mimeguri Shrine is an unassuming Shinto place of worship, but the first thing you’ll see as you enter the grounds is a bronze statue of a lion couchant. It’s a replica of the Trafalgar Square lion—but what’s it doing in a shrine far from London? The lion, to the general Japanese public, is better known as a symbol of Mitsukoshi, the oldest department store in Japan. It has sat in front of the chain’s main store since…
