The New Year’s visit to a shrine is a big deal for Japanese people, but recently there’s been an explosion in the numbers of non-Japanese visitors.
In famous shrines and temples in Tokyo and Kyoto, you can see many ema (votive wooden plaques) written in foreign languages, such as English, Chinese, and Korean.
Supplicants write down their wishes concerning such things as their health, work, or their love lives, on the plaques and hang them up in a designated spot.
You can write things like “I would like to find a partner,” “Praying for the good health of my family,” and “I hope I can pass the entrance exam for university” on ema. Some people even draw illustrations on them.
Along with ema, omikuji (fortune telling slips) are also popular with non-Japanese.
These days it’s possible to buy omikuji written in foreign languages.
Omikuji predict your fortune for the year. They are basically divided into “excellent luck,” “good fortune,” “slightly lucky,” and “bad luck,” but some refine this even further.
Though some people are delighted or disappointed with the results, the majority don’t take them seriously.
Many people tie them to a tree in the grounds of the shrine.
It’s said that this means you’re binding your fate to that of the deity residing there.
There are various kinds of shrines and temples.
Some have branches all over Japan like a chain store, while others located on small plots serve a local area just like an independent store.
In addition, there are places that are like large department stores boasting a large number of benefits for visitors, but also others that are like boutique stores offering special services from deities such as the god of matchmaking or the god of wisdom.
Just as in the proverb “Danger past. God forgotten,” some atheists turn up and earnestly offer up prayers.
On the other hand, there is an anecdote about the early Edo period (17th century) master swordsman MIYAMAOTO Musashi visiting a shrine before a duel.
Recognizing the weakness of his own spirit for clinging to a god, he felt ashamed and left without offering up any prayers.
初詣は
hatsumoude ha
(the) New Year’s visit to (a) shrine
日本人
nihonnjinn
Japanese people
一大行事
ichidai gyouji
(a) big deal
近年は
kinnnenn ha
recently
外国人参拝客が
gaikokujinn sannpaikyaku ga
(the numbers of) non-Japanese visitors
急増しています。
kyuuzou shite imasu.
there’s been (an) explosion
中国語、
chuugoku go,
Chinese
ハングル
hannguru
and Korean
外国語
gaikokugo
foreign languages
(願い事を
negaigoto wo
votive
木札)が
kifuda ga
wooden plaques
見られます。
mirare masu.
(you) can see
参拝者は
sanpaisha ha
supplicants
健康
kennkou
(their) health
恋愛
rennai
(their) love lives
などの
nado no
such things as
願い事を
negaigoto wo
(their) wishes (concerning)
所定の場所
shotei no basho
(a) designated spot
掛けます。
kakemasu.
hang (them) up
「結婚相手が
kekkonn aite ga
(a) partner
見つかります
mitsukarimasu
to find
「家族が
kazoku ga
(my) family
健康で
kennkou de
(the) good health of
いられますように」
iraremasu youni
praying for
「大学
daigaku
(and) university
入試に
nyuushi ni
(the) entrance exam for
合格できます
goukaku dekimasu
(I) can pass
書きます。
kaki masu.
(you) can write
イラスト
irasuto
illustrations (on them)
人もいます。
hito mo imasu.
some people
と並んで
to narannde
along with
「おみくじ」
omikuji
fortune telling slips
外国人
gaikokujinn
non-Japanese
最近は、
saikinn ha,
these days
外国語
gaikokugo
foreign languages
引くことも
hiku koto mo
to buy <draw>
できます。
dekimasu.
(it)’s possible
運勢を
unnsei wo
(your) fortune
占うものです。
uranau mono desu.
predict
大吉、
daikichi,
excellent luck
中吉、
chuukichi,
good fortune
小吉、
shoukichi,
slightly lucky
凶が
kyou ga
(and) bad luck
基本分類
kihonn bunnrui
basically divided into
神社により
jinnjya ni yori
some [shirines]
細かく分かれます。
komakaku wakare masu.
refine (this)
その結果
sonokekka
the results
喜んだり、
yorokonndari,
(some people) are delighted or
がっかりしたりします
gakkari shitari shimasu
disappointed
遊びと考える
asobi to kanngaeru
don’t take them seriously <fun game>
人はたくさんいます。
hito ha takusann imasu.
the majority
おみくじを
omikuji wo
them <omikuji>
境内
keidai
(the) grounds of (the) shrine
神
kami
(that of the) deity (residing there)
結ばれる
musubareru
(you)’re binding (your fate)
いわれます。
iware masu.
(it)’s said
チェーン店
che-nntenn
(a) chain store
全国に
zennkoku ni
all over Japan
分社が
bunnsha ga
branches
個人商店
kojinn shoutenn
(an) independent store
地域に根ざした
chiiki ni nezashita
serve a local area
小さなところも
chiisana tokoro mo
small plots
あります。
arimasu.
others (located on)
多くの
ooku no
a large number of
効能を
kounou wo
benefits (for visitors)
デパート
depa-to
department stores
のような
no youna
(that) are like
だけでなく
dake de naku
but also
縁結び
ennmusubi
matchmaking
学問
gakumonn
(or) wisdom
特別な
tokubetsu na
special
うたう
utau
offering (from deities)
専門店
sennmonntenn
boutique <specialty> stores
のような
no youna
(that) are like
「苦しい時の神頼み」
kurushii toki no kamidanomi
Danger past. God forgotten
ことわざが
kotowaza ga
(the) proverb
神仏を信じていない
shinnbutsu wo shinnjite inai
atheists
本気で
honnki de
(and) earnestly
願掛けに
gannkake ni
prayers offer up
やってきます。
yatte kimasu.
turn up
一方では、
ippou deha,
on the other hand
江戸時代初期
edo jidai shoki
(the) early Edo period
(17世紀)の
jyuunana seiki no
seventeenth century
剣の達人、
kenn no tatsujinn,
master swordsman
宮本武蔵が
miyamoto musashi ga
Miyamoto Musashi
神社を
jinnjya wo
(a) shrine
エピソードが
episo-do ga
(an) anecdote (about)
すがろうとする
sugarou to suru
for clinging
弱さに
yowasa ni
(the) weakness
それを恥じて
sore wo hajite
(he) felt ashamed [it] and
拝まずに
ogamazu ni
without offering up (any) prayers
いいます。
iimasu.
[it is said]