Shishi Iwa, Natural monument in Kumano, Japan.

Shishi Iwa is a rocky hill about 25 metres high and roughly 210 metres around, at the tip of a cape on the Shichiri-Mihama coast in Idō-chō, Kumano. Its sea-eroded and wind-eroded Kumano acidic rock resembles a lion's head with its mouth open toward the sea. It is called the A (male) rock, paired with the Un (female) rock of the Shinsen cave just south.

This rock formation received official recognition as a Place of Scenic Beauty and became part of the larger UNESCO World Heritage designation covering the Kii mountain region. That recognition protected the entire coastal landscape as an area of geological importance.

The rock is called the "a" (male) rock, paired with the "un" (female) rock of the Shinsen-do cave just south of it. Together they serve as the guardian lion-dogs (komainu) of Oma Shrine upstream on the Ido River, which is why that shrine keeps no lion-dog statues of its own.

Shishi Iwa stands along National Route 42 on the Shichiri-Mihama coast in Idō-chō, Kumano, with the beach between it and the Onigajō rock formations to the east. The site is a roadside stop rather than a hiking destination, so it can be viewed directly from the road and the adjoining beach. On 17 August the Kumano Grand Fireworks Festival draws many photographers to this stretch of coast.

Shishi Iwa is regarded as the male (a) rock, paired with the female (un) rock of Shinzen-do cave just south of it. It serves as the guardian lion-dog of Oma Shrine upstream on the Ido River, which is why that shrine keeps no stone komainu of its own. On 17 August the Kumano Grand Fireworks draw photographers to this spot.