This picture shows statues of Jizo, the Buddhist bodhisattva or deity of mercy. These statues are commonly purchased by a woman, or couple, who have experienced an abortion or stillbirth. The statues in this photograph are placed in a common area at a temple located in the City of Mizusawa in northern Japan. Women who have had abortions or stillbirths will in some cases visit Buddhist temples as a way of memorializing the fetus, or ensuring that proper ritual action has been taken to prevent a fetus from becoming an unattached spirit (muenbotoke) and possibly causing difficulties for the mother or for a child she might have in the future. Rituals for water children (mizuko) the term used to refer to aborted fetuses and stillborns, are carried out at Buddhist temples throughout Japan, although some temples object to the practice on the grounds that it is a form of exploitation of women.
Throughout much of the post-war era, abortion has been a major form of birth control in Japan, and the practice of performing rituals for mizuko has become common, particularly since the 1970s. For an excellent discussion of the topic, see Helen Hardacre’s book Marketing the Menacing Fetus in Japan, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.
Photo by John Traphagan.
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Henro Pilgrims 遍路と無縁仏