Jizo (Ojizo-sama). Granite statue #1

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Human: Ksitigarbha, also known as Jizō or Ojizō-sama, is Japan's most beloved deity. His statues are frequently seen along roadsides and in graveyards. Traditionally, he watches over children, especially those who die before their parents. He has been revered as the guardian of mizuko souls, which are the souls of stillborn, miscarried or aborted fetuses. In Japan, a ritual called mizuko kuyō is performed to honor these souls. According to Japanese mythology, children who die before their parents cannot cross the Sanzu River to reach the afterlife because they have not had time to accumulate good deeds and have caused their parents suffering. Jizō saves these souls from being trapped in an eternal cycle of piling stones on the riverbank as punishment by hiding them from demons in his robes and letting them listen to mantras.