 The "mizuko kuyō," typically performed by Buddhist priests, was used to make offerings to Jizō, a bodhisattva who is believed to protect children.In the Edo period, when famine sometimes led the poverty-stricken to infanticide and abortion, the practice was adapted to cover these situations as well.Today, the practice of "mizuko kuyō" continues in Japan, although it is unclear whether it is a historically authentic Buddhist practice.