Overlooking the dangerous waters of the Hālona Blowhole, the Japanese Fishing Shrine, Umi Mamori Jizo, stands guard. Composed of lava rock, the main part of the alter features Bodhisattva Jizo, an important saint of Mahayana Buddhism and the guardian of children, women, and travelers. Dating as early as the 1800s, the first-generation Japanese fishermen of Hawaii established shrines along East O’ahu beaches to protect them as they surf-cast for deep ocean fish. The present-day alter was built in 1940 and the image of Jizo was carved by artist Sentaro Otsubo….
