How to Make Wishes and Draw Fortunes at Matsuyama Yushin Shrine

✅ Basic Steps – How to Make a Wish 1. Pass Through the Shrine's Torii Gate • Enter through the red gate by bowing slightly as a sign of respect. 2. Wash Your Hands at the Temizuya (Purification Fountain) • Use the bamboo ladle (hishaku) to wash in this order: right hand → left hand → rinse your mouth → wash your right hand again, then tilt the ladle upright to let the remaining water clean the handle. (Note: Some shrines may have simplified facilities or have stopped using them for hygiene reasons, so check beforehand.) 3. Stand Before the Main Hall • Stand respectfully and follow these steps to make your wish: • Bow twice (about 90 degrees) • Clap your hands twice (clap-clap) • With your hands together, quietly make your wish • Bow once more to finish 💬 Wishes can be simple and heartfelt, like "Please let this be a good trip," "Help me stay focused," or "Bring good fortune to my future." ⸻ 🧧 Omikuji (Fortune-Telling) 1. Find the Omikuji Box • Look for it near the main hall or in front of a small adjacent building. It might be a vending machine-style box or a traditional wooden box. 2. How to Draw Your Fortune • Place about 100 yen into the offering box (the price will be displayed) • Either draw one from the wooden box or shake a numbered stick and match it to the corresponding fortune. 3. Interpreting Your Fortune • 大吉 (Daikichi): Great Blessing • 吉 (Kichi): Blessing • 小吉 (Shokichi): Small Blessing • 末吉 (Suekichi): Future Blessing • 凶 (Kyo): Misfortune • The fortune will include categories like love, health, studies, and finances. 4. Tying Your Fortune • If you draw a bad fortune, tie it to the designated tree or wire within the shrine grounds. This symbolizes leaving behind bad luck and taking only good fortune with you. • If you draw a good fortune, you can keep it in your wallet or planner. ⸻ 💡 Tips • Yushin Shrine is quiet and less crowded, making it a great place to focus and reflect. • You can make your wish silently or whisper it softly. • The shrine may also have an amulet (omamori) stand at the entrance, offering charms for luck, health, safety, and more. Consider taking one as a keepsake 😊