is a Japanese
folk tale about an old couple whose generosity is rewarded by ''Jizō'', the Japanese name for the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
Kṣitigarbha. The story is commonly handed down by parents to their children in order to instill moral values, as it is grounded in
Buddhist thought.
An alternative title, ''Kasako Jizō'' can be found in
Iwate and
Fukushima Prefectures. Its origins are in the
Tōhoku and
Niigata regions, with the oldest dispensations coming from
Hokuriku, as well as areas of Western Japan such as
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
and
Kumamoto
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a populat ...
Prefectures. Its precise origin, however, remains unknown.
Summary
One day in the snowy country there lived an incredibly impoverished elderly couple. On
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
, the couple realized that they were unable to afford
mochi
A mochi ( ; Japanese ) is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain Japonica rice, japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the ...
(a staple form of rice eaten during the
New Year). The old man decided to go into town to sell his home-made ''
kasa'' (bamboo hats), but his endeavors proved unsuccessful. Due to the horrible weather conditions, the old man gave up the task and made his trek back home. In the blizzard, the old man came across a line of Jizō statues, to whom he decided to give his ''kasa'' as an offering, as well to keep their heads clear of snow. However, he only had enough ''kasa'' on hand to give to all but one statue. He gave the remaining statue his ''
tenugui'' and went on his way. Upon returning home, he relayed the scenario to his wife, who praised him for his virtuous deed, without criticizing his inability to purchase any New Year mochi.
That evening, while the couple was asleep, there came a heavy thumping sound from outside the house. They opened the door to find a great pile of treasures, consisting of such goods as rice, vegetables,
gold coins, and mochi. The old couple watched on as the Jizō statues marched off into the snowy distance. Having repaid the old man for his selflessness, the Jizo enabled the couple to celebrate the New Year.
Analysis
While the tale has its visual basis in the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, the reciprocal character as expressed by the statues is reminiscent of the
Shintō deities known as
toshigami. These deities are generally believed to bring about good fortune for the New Year and exist in a variety of regional forms, such as the
Namahage of
Akita Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...
and the
Toshidon of
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...
. A similar comparison can be made regarding the ''
marebito''.
Furthermore, while the presence of multiple Jizō tends to amount to six (in reference to the
Jizō of the Six Realms motif), variations within the story exist such as there being only one, three, seven, or as many as twelve statues.
Variations
Some variations of the story are as follows:
*The old man gives his own ''kasa'' in place of a tenugui
*One Jizō statue returns the old man's gift rather than a group of statues
*In place of Jizō, the
Seven Lucky Gods repay the old man
*In place of gifts, the old couple are escorted to the
Western Pure Land
There is a version of this story in Niigata called ''Chijimi Jizō'' wherein the old man uses
ojiyachijimi fabric instead of a ''kasa''.
In another version, the old man's wife creates spools of thread to be sold in town.
In Western Japan, there is a variation wherein the old man carries a Jizō statue back to his house. His wife becomes angry and rice pours out of the statue's body. Greedy for more rice, the wife pounds the statue's belly, at which point the rice stops flowing.
See also
*
Japanese folktales
References
*
External links
かさ地蔵animated depiction with English closed captioning
{{Japanese folklore long
Buddhist folklore
Buddhism in Japan
Japanese fairy tales
Japanese folklore
Kṣitigarbha
Works about old age