Hokire Jizo: The Cut-Cheek Jizo Statue 頰切地蔵

Official explanation

This stone carving has been watching over pilgrims and hikers making their way to Niutsuhime Shrine or Koyasan since the late Heian period (794–1185). The sculptor refined the natural shape of the stone to make it resemble a small pagoda with a Buddhist figure on each of the three sides.

The central figure is Dainichi Nyorai, the Cosmic Buddha, the deity who brings light to the universe. A crack in the stone across the Buddha’s face looks like a scar; this is the hokire, or “cut cheek,” of the carved stone’s name. Those suffering from illnesses that affect the head and face come to pray to this serene figure. The other sides of the stone depict Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha, and Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life.

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.