This jizodo (hall with an image of Jizo, aka Ksitigarbha) stands at the west entrance of Utsunoya Pass on the old Tokaido. The year it was first built is unknown, but on the grounds of the temple there are lanterns engraved with dates from the Kanbun era (1661 - 1673) and Genroku era (1688 - 1704), so it certainly has long been worshipped as a temple that protects the safety of travelers crossing the pass and the daily life of villagers. Legend has it that Jizo moved a cow that could no longer walk by pulling the reins attached to its nose, and helped villagers who had trouble harvesting rice, so Jizo is also called "Hanatori Jizo" (nose-pulling Jizo) and "Inekari Jizo" (rice harvesting Jizo). There is a custom of dedicating a sickle as an offering of gratitude for the fulfillment of prayers, so sickles and farming tools are left in the hall. It is one of the constituent cultural properties of Japan Heritage.
Basic Data
Name
Sakashita Jizodo
Category
Shrine / Temple
Area
Utsunoya Pass
Address
Okabecho Okabe, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka
Open Hours
Free to visit
Closed Days
None
Price
Free
Parking Lot
Please use the Tsuta-no-Hosomichi Park parking lot.
