Many Japanese people practice the custom of visiting a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple and receiving (that is, buying) a good-luck charm called omamori, which is said to protect the holder. Because of this tradition, Japanese people are familiar with good-luck charms. Lately, the unique designs of some charms have made them popular, including charms designed with a flower, fruit or even insect motif. Japan now has cute and stylish good-luck charms.

Various Good-Luck Charms, Each with a Different Benefit

People believe that a good-luck charm protects and guides its owner, who is usually someone either praying for something good to happen or nothing bad to happen. A typical charm looks like a bag made of cloth, and it fits in the palm of your hand. The bag is closed with the strings pulled tight at the opening. It contains a piece of paper or a paper amulet that embodies the power of the gods or Buddha. So it is believed that if you always carry one with you, like in a handbag or wallet, the power of the gods or Buddha protects you from danger.

Among the variety of good-luck charms in Japan, you can see charms for health, thriving business, success in love, success in entrance examinations or a family's well-being. They come from shrines and temples that worship different gods or Buddha, and the available types of charms depend on the shrine or temple. That is why people choose to go to "this shrine for the god of academic achievement," "that temple for the Buddhist goddess of easy delivery" or a different place of worship matching their wants. It is also why people sometimes even travel to a faraway shrine or temple.

Stylish, Cute Designs Very Popular Among Young Women

The past few years have seen stylish good-luck charms that have the appeal of accessories. These charms will catch your eye. One example is the strap-type charms sold by a shrine in Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture. The shrine has a good reputation for divine favor in marriage. The charms use a cherry blossom motif, which implies the hope of "May the cherished relationship bloom beautifully like cherry blossoms."

A temple in Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture has prepared an assortment of cute, original good-luck charms, including those in the shape of a strawberry or ladybug. The strawberry-shaped charm implies the hope of "May your heart's desire come true," and the ladybug-shaped charm implies a hope for safe road travel and academic success.

In 2014, when Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site, a local shrine started distributing a Mt. Fuji-shaped charm, which is now a well-known good-luck charm particular to the region. It is available in two colors: blue and red. The colors reflect the clothing of the Shinto priests who conduct Shinto rituals and hold festivals and the clothing of the shrine maidens who assist them. The good-luck charm looks like both Mt. Fuji and the figure of a person who serves the gods, giving a lovely image.

In a fresh design, a good-luck charm is offered in the form of a bracelet from a shrine in Dazaifu City in Fukuoka Prefecture. The shrine worships the goddess of marriage and is also known as a "power spot" (a place where people can feel the presence of the gods or nature and get spiritual power). The charm is made of red string with an ornament that uses the nut named saikai as the motif. People can keep it with them by wrapping the string around a wrist, hanging it as a necklace or tying it to a bag or another belonging. The Japanese term saikai means that people separated by a long distance and time will see each other again. One reason for the popularity of the charm is the shrine's novel idea to tie different knots according to the holder's situation. The shrine teaches people various tying techniques appropriate to, for example, finding a good match or getting to see someone who is far away.

How Can You Take Care of the "Little God" in Your Good-Luck Charm?

How long should you keep your good-luck charm with you? There are various explanations. Some say that a charm never expires. Some say that a charm carried around for a long time may be roughly handled or get damaged, so it is better to replace it with a new one at least once a year. In any case, when your wish comes true, give thanks to the charm for protecting you up to then, and return it to the shrine or temple that you got it from.

The new good-luck charms today are stylish and fun to carry. And more than that, they seem to give the younger generations, who have never felt a close relationship with shrines and temples, a chance to get familiar with traditional worship in Japan.