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Koyasu Maria Kannon Statue
The statue of Mary Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) is located in the precincts of Seigenji Temple in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. There was a time when Christianity was persecuted as “forbidden” in Japan, and there was a time when Christians held masses in secret, hiding their beliefs. The “Koyasu Maria Kannon” is a statue of Mary that tells the history of Christianity in Japan. Today, it is deeply worshipped by the local people as a guardian deity for safe childbirth and child rearing.
Moment of Joy
At first glance, the wooden statue looks like a Buddhist statue of Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). At first glance, the statue looks like a Buddhist Kannon statue, but the unusual features of a Kannon statue, such as the figure holding a child, are typical of the statue of Mary itself, and it is said to have been deeply worshipped by local Christians. The statue is now registered as a tangible cultural property of Yuu Town as a statue that conveys the history of Christianity in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
