Omikuji - The Fortune Paper

Omikuji at Senso-Ji in Asakusa

Omikuji at Godaido Island

When you visit the shrines or temples in Japan, you can probably see people reading a strip of paper or seen it tied on a stand or on a tree branch - those were probably Omikuji (おみくじ) you see.

Omikuji are paper fortunes from a “sacred lottery,” fortunes which foretell one’s good or bad luck regarding something that one is praying about to the god of the shrine they are visiting. The omikuji are usually received by making a small offering and randomly choosing one from a box or by shaking a box containing numbered sticks and taking out the fortunes by the same number, or getting them from a vending machine; hoping for the resulting fortune to be good.

Omikuji vending machine

Two visitors on Fuukurajima, buying a Daruma Omikuji

General fortune is usually written in one of these categories:
大吉 - Daikichi - Excellent luck
吉 - Kichi - Good luck
中吉 - Cyukichi - Fair luck
小吉 - Syokichi - A little luck
半吉 - Hankichi - Semi-good luck
末吉 - Suekichi - Uncertain luck
末小吉 - Suekokichi - Uncertain but a little luck
凶 - Kyou - Bad luck
小凶 - Syokyou - A little misfortune
半凶 - Hankyou - semi-misfortunate
末凶 - Suekyou - Uncertain misfortune
大凶 - Daikyou - Certain disaster

The fortune may also include predictions different subjects about love, lost articles, study, family,money, travel, childbirth; in other words, predictions for all needs.

After reading it, if the fortune is of bad luck, you should fold the fortune into a strip and tie it around a branch of a tree, or pillar or in a special place where the shrine indicates, so the predicted bad luck won’t follow you.

But if the fortune brings a message of good luck you can take it with you or put it on your wallet.

A purported reason for this custom is a pun on the word for pine tree (松 matsu) and the verb 'to wait' (待つ matsu), the idea being that the bad luck will wait by the tree rather than attach itself to the bearer. In the event of the fortune being good, the bearer has the option of tying it for the fortune to have a greater effect or can keep it for luck.