Maruyama Jizo 丸山地蔵

Official explanation

Jizo is a Buddhist deity said to watch over travelers and children, and Jizo statues can be seen all over Japan. They are typically quite small and are often dressed with a red knit cap and bib. The Maruyama Jizo was erected in 1801 to honor the spirits of people who died in the Tenmei Famine (1782–1788) and as a focus of prayers for bountiful harvests. Counting its pedestal, it rises to a height of 3 meters, quite large for a Jizo statue.

Although the massive tsunami of 2011 inundated the area, the Maruyama Jizo was not washed away, and it has come to be seen as a symbol of resilience. Not far from the statue are a small information center and a local community center called We Are One Kitakami.

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.