Many of the statues have been lovingly swaddled in little outfits, some fashioned from wash cloths. A few poignant gifts are scattered among the statues. I spotted Mickey and Minnie cellphone charms, a small Winnie-the-Pooh, and a Guinness glass filled with what looked like water but might have been sake.
Some, not all, of the babies mourned here were aborted. Whenever I visit a Jizo "cemetery", I remember the college history professor who forecast that centuries from now when US history in the 20th century is reduced to a single line in a textbook that sentence will probably mention abortion but not Watergate or the Vietnam War. He called it "The Great Debate". I cannot imagine having an abortion but I wish there were places like this back home where women who have had abortions could mourn their losses in peace.
On our way back to the temple entrance, Ishii-san and I pass the Jizo where the elderly lady was ladling water on the babies' heads while praying. Then, right in front of the entrance, we spot a statue that looks to me like it has lost a great deal of gilt to the elements. This is because I am seeing the statue through Western eyes.
Ishii-san explains that the statue is gaining gilt, not losing it. I can deposit 500 yen in the box and take a packet of gilt which I can apply to the statue with the brush provided. People apply the gilt to the part of the statue corresponding to the parts of their own bodies in need of a cure. We notice quite a buildup of gilt on the statue's knees, abdomen, kidneys, and ears.
This would make a great fundraiser for hospitals. Just place a statue in the lobby and see how fast those $5 bills pile up. Or how fast they disappear . . .
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