This Tsuko-Tegata (通行手形) wooden travel charm commemorates Chikubushima Temple (竹生島寺 / Hōgon-ji), located on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture. The plaque is crafted in the traditional pentagonal form inspired by Edo-period travel permits once required for travelers moving between feudal domains.
The front of the plaque features a finely drawn image of Benzaiten (弁財天), the goddess of music, eloquence, knowledge, and wealth. She is depicted playing a biwa lute, one of her most recognizable attributes. Above the figure appear the characters 招福 (Shōfuku) meaning “inviting good fortune,” while the inscription 弁財天 identifies the deity. Benzaiten is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (七福神) and is strongly associated with water, making her worship especially fitting on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa.
The reverse side bears the inscription 竹生島寺, referring to Hōgon-ji Temple, a historic Buddhist temple and pilgrimage site. It also notes 西国三十三番札所, indicating that the temple is the 30th stop of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, one of Japan’s oldest and most revered Buddhist pilgrimage routes dedicated to Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Additional inscriptions wish for traffic safety, household safety, protection from misfortune, and prosperity for the family.
