The Shrine We Visited Just Once on New Year’s Day | A Forbidden Step into the Unknown
New Year’s Day and This Weird Shrine
You know how on New Year’s Day, people in Japan go to shrines or temples? It’s a big tradition where you pray for a good year ahead. Pretty normal, right? But not every shrine is as ordinary as you’d think.
This is a story about me and my friends — and the time we accidentally stumbled into a really strange shrine.
The Place We Shouldn’t Have Found
My friend Takashi? He never cared about New Year’s shrine visits. But that year, he was weirdly insistent.
“Hey, have you heard of ○○ Shrine? I heard if you go there, something good will happen.”
○○ Shrine? Never heard of it. I’ve lived in this town my whole life, and no one I knew had ever mentioned it.
“Okay, fine. Let’s go check it out.”
It was January 1st, late in the afternoon. While everyone else was heading to crowded shrines, we drove in the complete opposite direction. The road got narrower, the trees got thicker, and then this weird fog rolled in. Finally, we saw it: an old, crumbling torii gate.
“…Hey, are we sure this is a shrine?”
No one answered. We just stood there for a moment before walking through the gate. The second we did, the air changed. It felt heavy, like the place didn’t want us there.
The shrine itself was barely a building — just an old offering box and a bell. No priests, no people, no signs of life at all.
“They say if you toss in some money and ring the bell, your wish comes true.”
Takashi tossed a coin in without hesitation and rang the bell.
Clang, clang…
The moment the sound echoed, the trees around us started swaying. There wasn’t even any wind, but the whole place felt alive. Then, from far away, I swear I heard this faint, rattling sound — like someone laughing.
“You guys… did you hear that?”
Nobody said a word. We were all frozen. Something was seriously off.
And then, Takashi turned toward the torii gate. His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Let’s go… Who’s that?”
We all turned to look. Beyond the gate, there was someone standing there. Or… something. I couldn’t see its face, but it was watching us. Just standing still. And then, it started moving — slowly, like it had all the time in the world.
Is That Shrine Really Safe to Visit?
“Run!!”
We bolted back to the car, hearts pounding. I could feel it — something was chasing us. I didn’t dare look back. We jumped into the car, slammed the doors, and peeled out of there as fast as we could.
The next day, Takashi stopped answering his phone. A few days later, his family reported him missing. And then we heard the strangest thing.
“○○ Shrine? What are you talking about? There’s no shrine like that around here.”
So what was that place? The torii gate, the offering box, the bell, and that… thing. Maybe we stepped into somewhere we weren’t supposed to go.
New Year shrine visits are supposed to be peaceful, right? But next time you visit a shrine, maybe take a second look — and make sure it’s really meant for people like us.
Because after that day, Takashi never came back.
This story is a work of fiction. Please enjoy it as entertainment and use it as an opportunity to learn about the fascinating traditions of Japanese culture.
Where do you go to pray at the start of the New Year? Or is this not a tradition in your area? Feel free to share in the comments!
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