While visiting the Shinto temples in Tokyo, I came across a lot of such paper strips located just outside the temples. I noticed a lot of people, selecting some bamboo stick which had some characters based on which they would select a strip of paper from a box – which had the same initials as those found on the bamboo stick. This strip of paper just like the strip of paper found inside a fortune cookie, would then tell the person of his fortune. The technical term for this custom is Omikuji.

Luck is classified into dai-ichi (great luck), kicki (good fortune), sho-kichi (middle good fortune) and kyo (bad luck). If you like your fortune you can keep it. If you don’t like it you can tie it to a branch on a tree on the shrine grounds. (Source: Shinto Shrines) 

If you may have noted, the International Saturdays series completes a half-century today. Two more and it will complete a year. I would also like to make a mental wish and tie it on that string:)

Take Care,
Ciao