Udo Shrine: Nade-usagi 鵜戸神宮：撫でうさぎ

Official explanation

The nade-usagi (“rubbing rabbit”) is the most prominent of the many rabbit statues on the grounds of Udo Shrine. The rabbit is believed to be the messenger of Ugayafukiaezu, the shrine’s primary deity, and the nade-usagi is thought to be imbued with the deity’s powers of healing. Devotees with physical ailments can leave a small donation in the offertory box, then rub the part of the figurine that corresponds to the body part they hope to cure. This type of healing statue has been a feature of many Shinto shrines and some Buddhist temples in Japan since at least the Edo period (1603–1867). It is most commonly in the shape of a cow, but can also be other animals or an image of Buddha.

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.