Jizō Bon

After the Gozan Okuribi, Kyoto welcomes Jizō Bon.
Jizō Bon is an event held on 24 August, which is associated with Jizō Bosatsu, the guardian deity of children and roadside shrines, to pray for the health of children and the safety of the neighbourhood. Jizō Bosatsu is a bodhisattva who vowed to save people lost in the six realms (six worlds) from the time of Shakyamuni Buddha’s death until the appearance of Maitreya Bodhisattva.
During Jizō Bon, the Jizō statue is taken out of its shrine, adorned with makeup, and dressed in a new apron before being enshrined on an altar. The altar is decorated with flowers, and offerings such as red and white mochi, rakugan (sweet rice cakes), and fruits are placed there. In some areas, children gather in a circle around a large rosary and rotate it in sync with the monks’ chanting, a tradition known as ‘Juzumawashi (rosary rotation).’
Despite the continued hot weather, the Jizō statues of Kyoto during this season are well worth a visit.