Omikuji

Ah, the New Year’s omikuji ritual—a delightful blend of anticipation and superstition. You approach the shrine, drop your coin, and pull a paper from the sacred box. Will it be great luck (daikichi) or crushing misfortune (daikyo)? The suspense is half the fun. But tradition has a remedy: if the gods frown upon you with bad fortune, fold the slip neatly and tie it to a designated rack or tree branch at the shrine. This symbolic gesture is said to leave the bad luck behind.

Of course, in the age of smartphones, another step has wormed its way in: sharing on social media, especially if you’re a young Japanese girl.