Even with the IT technology of the Internet age, most people still seem to prefer postcards for exchanging greetings. Most of the New-Year postcards for 2008 featured the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rat, because 2008 is a year of the rat. And year of the rat is the first year of following 12 years in the Chinese astrological calendar. Otoyo-Jinja Shrine is along "Path of Philosophy" in Kyoto. There is a pair of stone-carved guardian dogs In most of the Japanese shrines. But in Otoyo-Jinja Shrine, there is a famous pair of stone-carved rats. You can get clay bells, which are modeled after these stone-carved rats.

Click here, you can find more rats-shaped clay bells.