Beyond the stone lantern stands Zoshigaya Kishimojindo, built in 1644

Zoshigaya Kishimojin Hall and stone lanterns — Zoshigaya Kishimojin Hall

A short distance from the busy Meiji-Dori Avenue, there is an unexpectedly dense area. It is Zoshigaya Kishimojin. In the narrow precincts of the shrine, surrounded by houses, stands a historic hall built in 1664 by Mitsuhime, the wife of Mitsuakira Asano, the lord of the Hiroshima domain.

As its name suggests, Kishimojin Hall enshrines the goddess Kishimojin. Kishimojin is one of the guardians of Buddhism, like Brahma, Teishakuten, Kichijoten, Benzaiten, and Daikokuten. In layman's terms, Kishimojin is an ancient Indian deity that was incorporated into Buddhism and became a guardian deity. In other words, she is a deity that came from India.

It is said that Kishimojin, the mother of many children, used to catch and eat human children to nourish herself enough to raise so many children. It is said that she was converted by the Buddha's sermon and became the guardian deity of Buddhism. Since she has children, Kishimojin must have a spouse. This is the case with a subordinate of Vaisravana named Pancika, but while Kishimojin ate human children to raise her children, Pancika has no such grotesque anecdotes. It may have been the same in ancient India that it was women rather than men who struggled to raise children.

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