According to a local legend, during the Kyōhō era (1716–1736), a tailor’s apprentice was taking an afternoon nap outside when someone came and stole expensive fabrics from him. With no suspect around, the police arrested a Jizō (Ksitigarbha) statue that “stood by and did nothing.”
The statue was dragged across the town to the police headquarters, rousing people’s curiosity. They came flocking to see the unusual sight, and the police charged them a fee for entering the building without permission, demanding fabrics as payment.
The apprentice found the stolen fabrics among the collected goods, and the thief was finally captured. To thank the statue, the police returned it to Nanzoin Temple and built a pavilion for it.
Eventually, the statue became known as Shibarare Jizōson, or “Tied-up Ksitigarbha,” as locals started to tie it up with ropes in hopes that it grants their wishes and protects them from thieves. The ropes are removed on New Year’s Eve or when wishes have come true. The tradition lives on to this day, and the bizarre object of worship still stands in the grounds of Nanzoin.
