This Tsuko-Tegata (通行手形) comes from Izumo Taisha (出雲大社), one of Japan’s most ancient and revered Shinto shrines, located in Shimane Prefecture. Izumo Taisha is famous as the shrine of Ōkuninushi-no-Ōkami, the deity associated with en-musubi (縁結び)—the tying of fateful connections, including relationships, marriage, and harmonious human bonds.
The wooden charm is carved in a tall rectangular form and decorated with colorful illustrations of the shrine’s majestic honden (main sanctuary), rendered in warm tones against the natural wood grain. Bold calligraphy and a red seal reading 神話ふるさと (“the homeland of mythology”) evoke Izumo’s deep association with Japan’s ancient legends recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Izumo is often called the “land of the gods,” where it is believed that the kami gather once a year during the month of Kamiarizuki.
Suspended from a traditional red-and-white braided cord are two metal bells that produce a gentle ringing sound. In Japanese folk belief, the sound of bells helps purify the surroundings, ward off misfortune, and attract good fortune.
