In Japan, lucky cards, also known as omikuji, are an integral part of spiritual life and are mainly offered at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. These small pieces of paper contain a prophecy that is supposed to provide information about your fate in various areas of life such as health, love, success or financial matters.
The process is simple: you either draw an omikuji directly from a box or receive it after shaking a special container from which a numbered stick falls. This number then leads you to your personal lucky card.
The prophecies range from "great luck" (daikichi) to "great misfortune" (daikyo). While good predictions bring joy and hope, negative messages are not necessarily cause for concern. Traditionally, unfavourable omikuji are tied to a designated stand or tree on the temple or shrine grounds. This symbolises that the misfortune will remain there and not come home with you.
Many people see the omikuji as a moment of self-reflection and not just as divination. It is an opportunity to think about your life and consciously set goals or resolutions.
For many visitors to temples and shrines, the omikuji drawing ritual is an integral part of their visit, whether out of curiosity, superstition or simply as a cultural experience that offers an insight into Japanese tradition.
Hey, I'm Endre!
I was born in Budapest and now live in Mainz - and I'm neither a full-time photographer nor a travel influencer. My actual profession and my passion couldn't be more different. A few years ago, I grabbed my rucksack and my camera (which was almost 20..
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