Jizo

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 1

JIZO

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 2

Edited by Nancy Ukai Russell With much appreciation to my director Jael Weisman, and my constant companion and husband Mark Izu, and our son the dancer, KK

Blessing No. 9 Š 2011 All Rights Reserved ISBN 978-0-9797528-4-1

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 3

As told by

Brenda Wong Aoki

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 4

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 5

J

izo is the

protector of children.

It is said that

when people die,

their spirit has to cross a great river in order to get to the other side.

Grown-up spirits have no problem but the children are afraid. So Jizo puts the children in his big sleeves and flies them across the river and when they get to the other side, he gives them things to wear, tokens of love from people left behind. All across Japan, you’ll see these little stone statues of Jizo. They are about the size of a doll, with bald heads and a quiet smile.

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 6

People always make sure the statues have something to wear: a little red bib, a child’s baseball cap, even just a flower on his bald head. People love Jizo because he protects children and children are the most precious thing in the world. This story is about Jizo and sweet rice cakes. We eat them at New Year’s to bring good luck!

Once upon a time in Japan, there was a little old woman and a little old man. They were very poor.

New Year’s was coming and do you know that they didn’t even have one yen for a good luck rice cake?

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 7

As they sat by the fire, the little old woman had an idea!

“I have some straw. We could weave it into hats. You could take it to the market and bring back maybe one good luck rice cake?”

“Humph,” said the old man, for he was always grouchy.

“Humph, that’s a good idea.”

So they sat by the fire, weaving straw into hats and before you know it, they had five brand new hats! The next day was New Year’s Eve. The old man packed the hats on his back and set off towards the village, waving.

“Bye bye, Mama!”

It was a bitterly cold day. The trees were bent double by the snow. All the birds and animals had flown away to a warmer place. No one was out on a

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 8

day like this, but that old man, he had a brave heart. He kept walking through the forest till he got to the village, then he sang out, “Hats for sale! Nice new hats for sale! We made ‘em ourselves, my wife and I.” Do you know, no one so much as peeked out the window? But that old man, he had a brave heart, he just kept going, hour after hour, singing out, “Hats for sale! Nice new hats for sale!

We made ‘em ourselves, my wife and I.” The sun was going down and it began to snow. The old man was beginning to get a little bit discouraged when he came across six stone statues of Jizo standing in the snow without a stitch of clothing on them.

10/17/11 8:10 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 9

“Aaarah?! I know these are only stone statues but how cold they must be!

What kind of people live here?

Treating your Jizo like this?”

He bowed to the little Jizo,” I’m sorry Jizo-sama, these people here have no respect….I wish I had something to give you…Aaarah!!”

He remembered the hats on his back!

So he tied…one, two, three, four, five hats snuggly under the chins of each stone Jizo. He got to the last statue and said, “I’m sorry Jizo-sama, I have no more… Aaarah!”

He remember the hat on his own head!

He took it off and tied it snuggly under the chin of the last Jizo.

Then he went home.

10/17/11 8:10 A

When he got home his wife scolded, “Aieeee! Papa! What have you done with your hat? You’ll catch your death of cold. Come sit by the fire!!”

The old man just shook the snow out of his hair and clothes and said, “Mama, I didn’t sell any of the hats.”

And his wife said, “Oh.” “I give ‘em to six stone statues of Jizo that I found standing in the cold.”

And his wife said, “Oh.” “So we will have no good luck rice cake again this New Year’s.”

And his wife said, “Oh, Papa!

What a kind thing to do. It’s better to do a kind thing like that than to have all the rice cakes in the world!

That’s why I married you!” she grinned with a twinkle.

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 10

10/17/11 8:10 A

That night, the little old woman and the little old man went to sleep cozy and warm, dreaming of happy thoughts for the New Year.

The next day at dawn, from far away, they heard a sound: ta, ta, ta, ta, dah tah tah dah da da dada da dada da da da da da da da da dada da da dada da Ai Sho! Ai Sho! Ai Sho oh!

It sounded like children singing and the singing got louder and louder until it was right outside the door!

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 11

A kind old man walking in the snow‌ Gave all his hats to the cold Jizo So we bring him gifts With a yo heave ho-e-oh!

Ai Sho! Ai Sho! Ai Sho oh!

10/17/11 8:10 A

The little old woman and the little old man jumped out of bed and ran to the front door. When they opened it, what do you think they found?

Rice cakes! The biggest, freshest, most delicious-looking rice cakes the little old man and the little old woman had ever seen.

“Mah,”said the Little Old Woman, “Who could have given us these rice cakes?”

Then they saw footprints in the snow.

And the footprints began to glow in all the colors of the rainbow.

And the footprints went up the mountain.

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 12

10/17/11 8:10 A

And there, dancing in the snow, with their hats still tied snuggly under their chins were the six stone statues of Jizo singing:

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 13

A kind old man walking in the snow‌ Gave all his hats to the cold Jizo So we bring him gifts With a yo heave ho-e-oh!

Ai Sho! Ai Sho! Ai Sho oh!

10/17/11 8:11 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 14

10/17/11 8:11 A

Photo by Hub Wilson

Brenda Wong Aoki has broken barriers and

established a new artistic genre as a contemporary American storyteller. Her award-winning work is a synthesis of Japanese Noh and Kyogen theater, dance and personal life experience. Her paternal grandfather was a founder of Japantown, San Francisco in the 1800’s and her maternal grandmother was a leader of the first Chinatown Garment Union in the 1920’s. She lives in a 1905 Victorian flat by Golden Gate Park with her husband and son. A writer, performer and playwright, she continues to teach and perform internationally.

(Please see www.brendawongaoki.com)

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 15

10/17/11 8:11 A

_Jizo_1016_2011.indd 16

10/17/11 8:11 A