Heiji Jizo (Stone Statue of Standing Jizo Bodhisattva)

Heiji Jizo is the largest stone Jizo (a guardian deity of children & travelers) in Kyoto Prefecture, with a height of 5.3 meters, including the platform. In 1833, a monk collected donations for the temple to erect this statue.

Every year, on the 23rd of November, this statue becomes the site for a “Heiji Jizo Straw Raincoat” ritual. A “hood” and “coat” made out of straw, weighing about 60 kilograms, is placed on the statue using ladders and bamboo poles.  It has become a local winter tradition.