Location: Kinkasan 金華山, Miyagi Prefecture Size: 7 x 10 x 3cm
What sets this piece apart is its ingenious design: a bell encased inside the wooden block, creating a gentle, muted chime that blends seamlessly into the charm’s elegant shape. Kinkasan is traditionally known as a sacred site for prosperity and maritime safety, and local belief holds that visiting the island shrine three years in a row brings financial fortune for life. This Tsuko-Tegata serves both as a protective talisman for safe passage and a souvenir of a meaningful spiritual journey to one of Japan’s revered pilgrimage destinations.
Tsuko-Tegata is a kind of wooden passport that was used in the Edo Period as an identity card for travelers when passing from region to region. They had been sold a lot in Showa period as mingei type souvenirs all over Japan. It's also a protector for safety and peace for family.
