Database: Jizo Statues

During the Middle Ages, the cult of Jizō integrated a great variety of beliefs, although its main doctrine remains uncertain. Between the 11th and 12th centuries, the statues of Jizō took the form of a child, embodying their protection. Those called Shōgun-Jizō warded off disease and epidemics. In the 16th century, it was widely accepted that Jizō comforted the souls of warriors who fell in battle as well as protecting travelers. This can explain why many of these statues are found along pathways. The cult of Jizō, with a bib and a red bonnet on the head, spread during the Edo period as a cult rendered in honor of babies who died in infancy or stillborn.