Unique Josen-ji Temple, Yokohama

The simple beauty of small, lovely Jizo statues

Larry Knipfing Sep 23, 2012 - 1 min read

The temple is of the Shingon Mikkyo Buddhist sect

The statues are tucked away in a back corner of the temple yard

They come in two sizes: small and very small

Many have their heads and shoulders covered, perhaps to brave the elements

This one has been dressed to look like a pilgrim

These statues are adorned with the traditional red found on most jizo statues

Bowed in prayer for the souls of unborn or dead children

Josen-ji Temple, a 10-minute bus ride from Ofuna Station, is best known for its labyrinth of ancient caves. The caves are indeed impressive and definitely worth a visit. But while I was there, I was also fascinated by these tiny jizo statues. In fact, I couldn’t drag myself away from them. Placed row after row on a number of outdoor shelves, they come in two sizes: small and very small. And despite their apparent sameness, many of them had their own distinct look and character, mainly due to how they had been dressed.

Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing

Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...