They are waiting to help you out.
These guys are all Jizō, or more politely, Ojizōsama. He is a bodhisattva†, one who promised to help all beings out of hell (or hells; there are 6 of them in Buddhism). He is also thought to be the protector of children and of travelers. The latter association is what we are seeing in the above photo. There roadside shrines with one or six Jizō are a common sight in Japan. They are put there for travelers to pray at for help and protection. And yes, even today you will see people stopping and praying at them before continuing on their way. This is mostly older people, however.
If you are a fan of anime you may recall seeing these traveler protection Jizō sometimes. For example, in My Neighbor Totoro, a Jizō shrine appears a couple of times to let us know the characters are going to me ok.
Bonus shots
Faces pop up in the most interesting places. This was at a park I took my son to play at.
Now you know my secret—I always carry a memo book with me to record random ideas, info about photos I am taking, or haiku that pop into my head. I could use my smartphone. I have an app just for this purpose. But I like the feel of handwriting on paper, and I like using a pencil instead of a pen to do that. Hmm... I suppose this either makes me old fashioned (or just plain old) or a hipster. Oh well—take your pick!
Thats all for now. Turn in tomorrow for more random Japan photos. Same Steem-place, same Steem-time!
Footnotes
†: A buddhist saint. Someone who promises not to achieve nirvāṇa until everyone else has and to help everyone else get there.
If you like this random photo from Japan, be sure to check out @kaliju's great Random Korea series. The latest entry there is Random Korea #12 - Bike lanes, Spider-Man and...Nature's Communists!?
Also be sure to follow @kafkanarchy84, @maxinpower, and @boxcarblue for even more random Japan fun! Also, follow the #randomjapan tag for more from Japan, #randomasia for random shots from the entire area.
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Missed a past Random Japan? I've got you covered!
- Dancing Torii
- Busy Night
- The Store of the Beast
- Like a Boss
- Swimming Hole Warning
- Gotta Be the Hat
- The Walls Have Eyes
- Star Wars Coffee
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- When Dinosaurs Rules the Earth
- After the Fall
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- Rainy Day, Japanese Houses
- The Heartfelt Life
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |