Ecological and immunological aspects of Japanese Buddhism in the Americas

I saw a similar statuette in a taxi in the Netherlands, in front of the driver. He told me that he had had it for some ten years and it was called Geluk, which in Dutch is “good luck.” The taxi drivers in Mexico City hang pictures of La Virgen de Guadalupe (the Virgin of Guadalupe) inside their cars, and in São Paulo, I have seen pictures of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida (Our Lady of Aparecida) and São Cristovão (St Christopher) in taxis. There is no doubt that both the Buddha and the Virgin Mary are venerated all over the world, especially as protectors of taxis and as personal objects of belief among taxi drivers.