"Found something wild, so I'm off to buy it," said the poster on their way to Hokkaido Jingu Shrine to get a "mysterious item." What on earth could it be...?

This thing from Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, nearly 10cm in size, looked like a real special-grade cursed object. It wasn't listed on the amulet list outside, nor was it displayed. You could only buy it by asking at the reception. Only those in the know can get it...

Source: @sakuretukiwi's post

An item you can only buy by asking at the reception. How did they find it?

Hokkaido Jingu Shrine

The person who posted this is Sakuretsu Kiwi, an independent merchandise creator. When visiting Hokkaido for a vendor event, Hokkaido Jingu Shrine was recommended as a sightseeing spot. They found this item while browsing the shrine's website. According to them, "a series of unfortunate events had been happening around me lately," and "I don't usually check websites before visiting, so you could say I was drawn to this, haha."

Comments like "What is this?" "I've never seen it before," and "I've been there so many times and had no idea" poured in, showing that even regular visitors to Hokkaido Jingu Shrine were unaware of this item. So, what exactly is it?

Its true identity is a "Warding-Off-Evil Bell" modeled after a peach pit.

The item is a "Mayoke-suzu" or "Warding-Off-Evil Bell." It's an earthenware bell shaped like a peach pit, and it really jingles. Peaches have been believed to possess evil-warding powers since ancient times. In the Kojiki, an ancient Japanese chronicle, the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto threw peach pits to repel his pursuers when fleeing from Yomi-no-kuni, the underworld.

In fact, just two days after this post, the Warding-Off-Evil Bell sold out. It is handmade by artisans, and it might be difficult to restock even within the year. Any announcements about a restock will be made on the official Hokkaido Jingu Shrine X account, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out.

Special thanks to: Sakuretsu Kiwi