Written Oracles; An Easy, Interesting, Must-Do Attraction in Asakusa

I am not a fortunetelling fan, but I try a written oracle (Omikuji in Japanese) whenever I visit Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.A written oracle is a lot that tells your fortune is great, good, so-so, or bad. You can try it in temples and shrines with one coin into a donation box. It’s easy!

Written oracles in Sensoji-Temple are written in a traditional style with English transrations, so it will be a great souvenir of Japan. Feel the history of over 2,000 years in East Asia.

Here is mine.

A written oracle in Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

Cool, isn’t it? The big square characters are kanji (Chinese) and the others are Japanese. Oh, you know that if you are Chinese or Korean…

The English Translations

Hum… It says Good Fortune. So-so.

(Just in case you get Bad Fortune, tie it to a branch in the temple. Don’t bring bad luck back home.)

It is written in Chinese first. It is translated into Classic Japanese and then Modern Japanese in the back. And English.

Japan has been involving with China, Korea and other Asian countries and regions for 3,000 years. Chinese characters came to Japan around 2,000 years ago and important documents are written in Chinese in the ancient society. Chinese characters gradually got together with Japanese and they became a part of Japanese language.

Today, written oracles are also translated into English for international travellers!

Surely you will see locals shaking a wooden cylinder, seeing the No. on the stick from it and getting the oracle from the drawer of the No.

Have a stop to try your fortune and feel the history. It will be a great story of your travel.

Link
Asakusa Sightseeing Guide – Access, tourist attractions, good hotels and event calendar of Asakusa