Mie, Japan Jizodo Visit Report 2026 Nagashima Town No.1
Koyasu Jizo Hall in Nishikawa, Nagashima, Kuwana, Mie, Japan — A Town-Corner Prayer Found on the Way from Kusunoki Shrine
This is a Jizo hall I found while passing through the area on May 13.
After leaving Kusunoki Shrine in Nishikawa, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, I was on my way to a business partner when I noticed a small Jizo hall along the road.
It is not a large temple or a famous tourist spot. It is a small town-corner Jizo hall quietly enshrined beside a residential area.
It caught my eye the moment I drove past, and I stopped to take a closer look. Recently, I feel naturally drawn to small places of prayer like this. Not only shrines and temples, but also roadside Jizo halls, stone Buddhist figures, memorial stones, and old stone objects seem to carry the memory of the land.
At this Jizo hall, I saw a stone figure with the words “Koyasu Jizo” carved on its base. Inside the hall, Jizo figures wearing red hoods and bibs are enshrined. Outside, a group of stone Buddhist figures wearing white bibs also stands nearby. The red banners also show faith connected with Enmei Jizo, a Jizo form associated with longevity and protection.
At a Glance
| Location | Around Nishikawa, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, Japan |
|---|---|
| Main subject | A Jizo hall found on the way from Kusunoki Shrine to a business partner |
| Name confirmed on site | Koyasu Jizo |
| What can be seen inside the hall | Several Jizo figures wearing red hoods and bibs, lanterns, a donation box, flowers, and offerings |
| What can be seen nearby | Stone Buddhist figures wearing white bibs, garden stones, a stone lantern, and a small maintained garden space |
| Nature of the faith | Jizo faith connected with safe childbirth, children, family protection, and long life |
| Note | The construction date and detailed history of this Jizo hall are not clearly known at this time. |
A Jizo Hall Enshrining Koyasu Jizo
The first thing that stands out at this Jizo hall is the inscription “Koyasu Jizo” on the base of the stone figure.
Koyasu Jizo is generally connected with prayers for children, safe childbirth, child raising, and family protection. At this hall, the Jizo figures wear red hoods and bibs, showing that local people have protected this place with personal wishes and care.
Inside the hall, not just one but several Jizo figures are enshrined. In the small wooden hall, lanterns, a donation box, flowers, and offerings are placed, showing that faith still continues here.
Stone Buddhist Figures Wearing White Bibs
Outside the Jizo hall, a group of stone Buddhist figures wearing white bibs stands nearby.
These stone figures are not large, but each one has been carefully dressed with a bib, and flowers are placed nearby. Small stone figures like these are very important as a form of prayer remaining within the town.
Even if they are not widely introduced as famous cultural properties, the time local people have spent praying, caring for them, and protecting them remains here.
Layers of Prayer around Kusunoki Shrine
I found this Jizo hall on the way from Kusunoki Shrine to a business partner.
In the article on Kusunoki Shrine, I recorded the camphor tree grove, the tradition of Nishikawa Hachiman Shrine, the legend of the blue-and-red stone, stone lanterns, komainu guardian lions, the natural stone water basin, and the memory of Nagashima and the Ise Bay Typhoon.
It is interesting that a Jizo hall like this remains in the same surrounding area.
If Kusunoki Shrine preserves the faith of a local guardian shrine, this Jizo hall preserves a form of prayer closer to daily life. Children, family, long life, and everyday safety—these wishes remain here in the form of Jizo faith.
Recording a Place Even When Its History Is Unknown
The construction date and detailed history of this Jizo hall are not known at this time.
Still, there are things that can be confirmed on site.
The base inscribed with Koyasu Jizo. Red hoods and bibs. Several Jizo figures enshrined inside the hall. Stone Buddhist figures wearing white bibs. Flowers and offerings. A small garden space with stones, carefully maintained.
All of these show that this place has not been completely forgotten.
Even when the detailed history of a place is unknown, carefully recording what can be seen on site can help preserve the memory of a town.
What the Photos Show
What I felt on site was that this Jizo hall remains naturally within local daily life.
Inside the hall, Jizo figures wearing red hoods and bibs are enshrined. Outside, the Koyasu Jizo stone figure and the group of stone Buddhist figures stand nearby. It is not a grand temple, but the maintained hall, flowers, offerings, bibs, and garden stones come together to create a small town-corner place of prayer.
The surrounding area is residential, and the Jizo hall stands very close to everyday life. That is why this place feels less like a tourist site and more like a place of prayer for local people.
Why This Place Matters
This small place preserves quiet faith in Nishikawa, Nagashima.
The history of a town does not remain only in large shrines or temples. It can also remain in a small roadside Jizo hall, red hoods, white bibs, stone Buddhist figures, flowers, and offerings. These small things also preserve the prayers and time protected by local people.
This Koyasu Jizo hall is another small record of faith remaining around Kusunoki Shrine.
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Written on: May 15, 2026