The Water Mill area in Maisaka contains a broken Six Jizo Statue that can’t be completed until you find its missing head. Unlike most Six Jizo Statues across Nioh 3 — where you simply walk up and pray — this one requires pulling a lever to lower the water level, clearing enemies, and a double jump to reach the head before you can restore it and claim your reward.
This guide walks you through the exact location of the statue head and how to safely carry it back without getting interrupted by enemies.
What Are Six Jizo Statues in Nioh 3?
Six Jizo Statues are collectible points of interest found throughout nearly every region across all three time periods — the Warring States (1572 CE), Heian (1190 CE), and Bakumatsu (1864 CE) eras. There are 20 total in the game. Praying at all of them unlocks the Visiting the Six Jizo trophy.
More practically, each statue rewards 50 Jizo Merits when you pray at it. Jizo Merits are spent at any Shrine under the Blessings menu to unlock and upgrade Jizo Blessings — buffs that apply specifically inside Crucible zones, where enemies deal increased damage and can inflict Life Corrosion. The boosts start small but stack meaningfully the more statues you collect, making them one of the most useful progression upgrades for tackling the game’s toughest content.
Not every statue is a simple walk-up-and-pray situation. Some require a monetary donation to activate. Others — like the one in Maisaka — have a missing head you need to find and physically carry back. At least one in the Bakumatsu period hides its head inside a Mimic Chest. The Maisaka statue is one of the earliest headless variants you’ll encounter, making it a good introduction to the mechanic before the later, more complex versions.
Once you’ve collected most of a region’s items and secrets, remaining Six Jizo Statues reveal themselves on your map automatically, making them easier to track down.
How To Reach the Six Jizo Statue in Water Mill (Maisaka)
The statue sits across a body of water from the Water Mill Shrine — you can’t simply walk over to it directly.
Start at the Water Mill Shrine. Look to the right to find a wooden lever. Interact with it to close the drawbridge upstream, which lowers the water level in the mill race and creates a stone path you can cross.
Cross to the other side where several enemies patrol. Two need to be dealt with on the path to the statue:
- Yokai on the rock — Take this one out first. It has high ground advantage and ranged weapons or an aggressive approach before it pounces works well
- Water creature ahead — Blocks the direct path to the statue
The Six Jizo Statue is at the top of the hill, next to a building. When you try to interact with it, the game tells you “Something is missing” — one of the six statues is missing its head.
Where To Find the Missing Jizo Head in Water Mill (Maisaka)
The missing head is extremely close — you don’t need to explore further into the area or lower the water level again to find it.
While standing directly in front of the Six Jizo Statue and facing it, turn to your right. You’ll see a large rock platform slightly above ground level. There’s also an enterable house nearby with loot inside, but the head is not in there.
Double jump onto the rock. The stone Jizo head is sitting on top in plain sight.
How To Return the Jizo Head Without Dropping It
Once you pick up the head, your character carries it in both hands, which limits your combat capability. This is where most players run into trouble.
Clear All Enemies Before Picking Up the Head
This is the most important step in the entire puzzle. While carrying the Jizo head, enemy attacks will interrupt you and knock the head out of your hands — forcing you to retrieve it and start the carry again. Multiple hits can knock you down completely.
Clear every nearby enemy before you touch the head. The Crucible Wraith in particular can be ambushed with ranged weapons before you close in. If the Yokai and water creature from earlier are already dead, you should have a clean path. If anything respawned or you skipped a patrol, deal with it now.
Once the area is clear, pick up the head and walk it directly back to the statues. The distance is short. When the prompt appears, place the head on the statue to complete the interaction. You can now pray at the Six Jizo and collect your 50 Jizo Merits plus 2 Spirit Stones.
Hidden Area and Extra Loot After Completing the Six Jizo Puzzle
After completing the statue, don’t leave the Water Mill area immediately — there’s a second secret most players miss entirely.
Find the second lever on the other side of the dam. Pulling it fully drains the remaining water from the mill area, revealing a ladder going down into a previously submerged section.
Descend the ladder and loot all the corpses in the area. Make your way to a torii gate on a small island, then jump across to activate a Crucible Wraith fight. Defeating it unlocks a cave with additional loot. Once cleared, climb back up the ladder. This entire hidden area was underwater before you pulled the second lever — it’s completely invisible on your first pass and accounts for a significant chunk of the Water Mill’s total loot and completion.
For more help with collectibles and progression items, check out our guide on how to get and use Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3.
Six Jizo Statue Tips for Nioh 3 (Headless Variants Explained)
Clear enemies first, always. Every Six Jizo Statue that requires carrying a head piece becomes exponentially harder with enemies nearby. Take an extra minute to clear the area completely before attempting the carry.
The Maisaka statue is your introduction — harder versions come later. At least one Bakumatsu-era statue hides its head inside a Mimic Chest rather than placing it in plain sight. The carry mechanic is the same, but finding the head requires more work.
Mark statue locations on your map. Once most collectibles in a region are found, remaining Six Jizo Statues appear on your map automatically. Use this to plan efficient collection routes rather than backtracking.
Prioritise Jizo Merits early. Jizo Blessings apply specifically to Crucible zones — the game’s hardest content. Collecting statues as you progress each region means your Crucible survivability scales naturally with the difficulty rather than playing catch-up later.
Check for environmental mechanics. Some statues, like this Water Mill example, are gated behind levers or water level changes. If a statue seems inaccessible, look for interactive objects nearby before assuming it requires progression unlocks.
Don’t rush while carrying the head. The time saved by sprinting is not worth getting hit and having to retrieve the head again. Walk it back in a straight line with enemies cleared.
If you need help customising your character after collecting these rewards, see our guide on how to change appearance and transmog equipment in Nioh 3.
For more information about Nioh 3, visit the official Team Ninja website, check it out on PlayStation Store, or grab it on Steam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the Six Jizo Statue head in Nioh 3 Water Mill?
Stand directly in front of the incomplete Six Jizo Statue and turn right. The stone head is on top of a large rock platform you can reach with a double jump. It’s in plain sight once you’re on top of the rock — no searching required.
What happens if enemies attack me while carrying the Six Jizo Statue head?
Enemy attacks interrupt the carry and knock the head from your hands. Multiple hits can knock you down completely. Clear every nearby enemy before picking up the head — once the path is clean, the walk back to the statue is very short.
Do I need to lower the water level twice in Water Mill Maisaka?
Yes, but for different reasons. The first lever lowers the water enough to reach the Six Jizo Statue and find its head. The second lever, pulled after completing the statue, fully drains the water and reveals a hidden submerged area with a ladder, corpse loot, a torii gate, and a Crucible Wraith fight.
What reward do you get from the Six Jizo Statue in Water Mill?
Completing and praying at the statue rewards 50 Jizo Merits and 2 Spirit Stones. The 50 Jizo Merits can be spent at any Shrine under the Blessings menu to unlock and upgrade Jizo Blessings — Crucible-specific survivability buffs.
What do Jizo Merits do in Nioh 3?
Jizo Merits are spent at Shrines to activate and upgrade Jizo Blessings. These buffs apply exclusively inside Crucible zones, where they improve your survivability against enemies that deal increased damage and inflict Life Corrosion. Collecting all 20 Six Jizo Statues in the game also unlocks the Visiting the Six Jizo trophy.
