While there are many stone statues of the 72 sages with stern faces, this statue had a smile on its face

Although the teachings of Confucianism have taken root widely in Japan, there are not many Confucius temples dedicated to the founder of Confucianism. Nagasaki City is home to one of the few Confucius temples in Japan. As I walked into the precincts built in the Chinese style and reached the courtyard, I found a large number of stone statues standing in place of the worshippers.

These were stone statues of 72 sages. They were apparently disciples of Confucius. I didn't count them because there were so many, but I guess there must be 72 stone statues for 72 sages. Most of them had stern faces, as if to show their dignity, but I found a statue with a smile on its face. He was smiling while touching his beard. But it looked like a rude, condescending smile.