Kokuzo is a bodhisattva associated with the sky in Buddhist mythology. The name roughly translates to Receptacle of the Void, and he is paired with the bodhisattva Jizo (Receptacle of the Earth), the savior of sentient beings and guardian of children and travelers. Dating to the Asuka period (552–645), this statue was originally carved as a Kannon bodhisattva. It stands on a three-tiered lotus flower and features detailed carvings in its drapery.