Eventually she got what she wanted, but she lost some blood along the way.
Located on the east side of Kyoto, in the city’s historical Higashiyama district, Yasui Konpiragu is a unique shrine. Sure, the fact that it was founded circa 670 is noteworthy, but what really separates it from other sites of Shinto worship is its special status with en, or interpersonal connections.
Many shrines in Japan are famous as spots for enmusubi, with the belief that visiting and saying a prayer will help you find the perfect counterpart in romance, business, or some other multi-person endeavor. But while Yasui Konpiragu is said to have enmusubi properties, it’s real claim to fame is as a shrine for engiri, or breaking off bad relationships.
▼ Write the relationship you want to end on a prayer paper, pass through the stone monument twice, leave the paper behind, and you’ll be free of the unwanted connection.
Yasui Konpiragu a popular pilgrimage point for people trying to rid themselves of the lingering negativity from breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or, as the shrine itself boats on its website, a place where you can ask the gods to “Please end the relation of my husband and his adulterous lover.”
Engiri isn’t limited to romantic affairs, though, and because of the shrine’s purported powers, Japanese Twitter user @zaimteyan, who’d become dissatisfied with her job, decided to visit Yasui Konpiragu, asking for divine help so that she could “quit [her] job in a amicable manner,” but was shocked at how her wish ended up being apparently granted.
“Right after I finished my prayer, my nose started bleeding, and it wouldn’t stop. The next day at work, my older female coworker who bullies me was even meaner than usual, and I fell into a depressive state.
I ended up quitting my job, but it was such a sudden and scary turn of events. It seems like the shrine will go to some extreme measures in granting your wish, so if you’re visiting, be careful about what you ask for.”
If @zaimteyan had been wavering on whether or not to really quit her job, the sudden storm of physical and mental anguish was enough to harden her conviction to finally leave and look for something better. The startling way it went down had other Twitter commuters leaving remarks such as
“Well, your prayer was answered, right?”
“You got what you wanted…except for the ‘amicable’ part.”
“Looks like there were some side effects.”
“Right after I visited Yasui Konpiragu, mu office burned down and the company went out of business. Sometimes the gods are a little clumsy, so yeah, being careful what you ask for is a good idea.”
Despite the drama, @zaimteyan says she’s happy she visited the shrine, and hopes to go back again. Hopefully her next wish gets granted with less loss of blood.
Related: Yasui Konpiragu official website
Source: Twitter/@zaimteyan via Hachima Kiko, Yasui Konpiragu
Top image: Wikipedia/663highland
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where the enmusubi good luck charm his wife bought just before they started dating seems to have worked out pretty well for her.