Jizo is one of the most popular and beloved of Japanese divinities because he works tirelessly to ease the suffering and shorten the sentence of those who fall into hell. He is also a guardian of children, expectant mothers, travelers and farmers. All across Japan you will see him, generally weathered, his carved stone edges worn and rounded. Images of the gentle Jizo, the eternal guardian, are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples. Smaller granite Jizo statues are quite rare to find in Japan today, and this example is a wonderful representation of the gentle and compassionate nature of this most beloved deity.