Teaching Resources

Statues and figurines

Hanayomeningyo (Bride Dolls)

Forms of spirit marriage are practiced in many regions of East Asia. In parts of Tohoku, as well as some other areas of Japan, kimono-clad bride dolls are dedicated to the souls of children and youths who have died before marriage. At Osorezan Entsuji temple, Kawakura Sainokawara Jizo do, and Nishikoyasan temple, these dedicated dolls are believed to be infused with the spirit of the compassionate bodhisattva Jizo. In other locales, such as Yamadera, the dolls are closely associated with the bodhisattva Kanonsama.

No hanayomeningyo have been dedicated at Akakura Mountain Shrine.

See: Schattschneider, Ellen. "Buy me a bride: death and exchange in northern Japanese bride doll marriage." American Ethnologist. 2001.