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| Votive talismans designed for the home |
|---|
| Ofuda, andJingū taima when fromIse Jingu |
| Votive paper slips applied to the gates of shrines |
| Senjafuda |
| Amulets sold at shrines for luck and protection |
| Omamori |
| Wooden plaques representing prayers and wishes |
| Ema |
| Paper fortunes received by making a small offering |
| O-mikuji |
| Stamps collected at shrines |
| Shuin |
Omamori (御守/お守り) are Japaneseamulets commonly sold atShintoshrines andBuddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shintokami as well asBuddhist figures and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection.
The wordmamori (守り) means 'protection', withomamori being thesonkeigo (honorific) form of the word. Originally made from paper or wood, modern amulets are small items usually kept inside a brocade bag and may contain a prayer, religious inscription of invocation.[1]Omamori are available at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples with few exceptions and are available for sale, regardless of one's religious affiliation.
Omamori are then made sacred through the use of ritual, and are said to containbusshin (spiritual offshoots) in a Shinto context orkesshin (manifestations) in a Buddhist context.[1]
Whileomamori are intended for temple tourists' personal use, they are mainly viewed as a donation to the temple or shrine the person is visiting. Visitors often giveomamori as a gift to another person as a physical form of well-wishing.[citation needed]
Omamori are usually covered with brocaded silk and enclose paper or pieces of wood with prayers written on them, which are supposed to bring goodluck to the bearer on particular occasions, tasks, or ordeals.Omamori are also used to ward off bad luck and are often spotted on bags, hung on cellphone straps, in cars, etc.
Omamori have changed over the years from being made mostly of paper and/or wood to being made out of a wide variety of materials (i.e. bumper decals, bicycle reflectors, credit cards, etc.).[3] Modern commercialism has also taken over a small part of the production ofomamori. Usually this happens when more popular shrines and temples cannot keep up with the high demand for certain charms. They then turn to factories to manufacture theomamori. However, priests have been known to complain about the quality and authenticity of the products made by factories.[3]
According toYanagita Kunio (1969):
Japanese have probably always believed in amulets of one kind or another, but the modern printed charms now given out by shrines and temples first became popular in theTokugawa period or later, and the practice of a person wearing miniature charms is also new. The latter custom is particularly common in cities.[4]
Omamori may provide general blessings and protection, or may have a specific focus such as:[5]
Customarily,omamori are not opened in order to avoid losing their protective benefits. They are instead carried on one's person, or tied to something like a backpack or a purse. It is not necessary, but amulets are customarily replaced once a year to ward off bad luck from the previous year. Old amulets are usually returned to the same shrine or temple they were purchased at so they can be disposed of properly. Amulets are commonly returned on or slightly after theJapanese New Year so the visitor has a fresh start for the New Year with a newomamori.
Oldomamori traditionally should not be disposed of, but burned, as a sign of respect to the deity that assisted the person throughout the year.[6]
If a shrine or temple visitor cannot find anomamori that meets their need, they can request for a priest to have one made. If enough people request for this same type ofomamori, the temple or shrine may start producing them for everyday availability.
There are modern commercial versions ofomamori that are typically not spiritual in nature and are not issued by a shrine or temple. It has become popular for stores in Japan to feature genericomamori with popular characters such asMickey Mouse,Hello Kitty,Snoopy,Kewpie, etc.
