TITLE: Otake Jizo タイトル：お竹地蔵

Official explanation

The Otake Jizo is one of the largest cast copper statues on Koyasan. The statue takes its name from Mrs. Yokoyama Take, a woman from Edo (now known as Tokyo) who donated this Jizo to Koyasan in May of 1745. According to an inscription on the base of the statue, the bodhisattva Jizo appeared to Mrs. Take in a dream while she was staying at the nearby Fudozaka Guchi Nyonindo Hall to pray for the soul of her deceased husband. Upon waking, Mrs. Take decided to commission and donate a statue of Jizo to Koyasan. The Otake Jizo has remained on display at this location since that time.

Known as Ksitigarbha in Sanskrit, Jizo is a bodhisattva—a benevolent being who attains Buddhahood but remains compassionately attached to this world to help other souls in need. Jizo is a protector and patron of travelers, children, and those in need, including the souls of the deceased. He is often portrayed as a Buddhist priest with a halo around his head. His left hand holds a wish-fulfilling jewel, while his right hand wields a staff with which he forces open the gates of hell to help imprisoned souls escape.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.