Japanese people often tend to trust their fate. Superstition? Gullibility? Casting lots is in any case part of daily life in Japan.

The Meaning of the Word Kuji

The word kuji 籤, which means "casting lots", actually refers to several quite different things:

• The mikuji みくじ

It is, in a way, "fortune-telling", somewhat like our horoscope. Below is a shelf near Asakusa temple whose drawers contain small papers on which is written the destiny of those who draw them. After learning the "answer from the gods", one folds the small paper and attaches it to a small grid, or to a tree. The small white butterflies represent the destinies of those who came to consult the mikuji.

• The takara-kuji 宝くじ

More modern, the takara-kuji 宝くじ is the name given to the Japanese lottery. I find it amusing that the same word kuji is used here.

• The amida-kuji あみだくじ

Finally, here is the amida-kuji あみだくじ, a method of drawing lots where the names of participants are each written at the top of a vertical bar. The prize (or the forfeit) is written at the bottom of one of the bars. Participants are allowed to draw one or more horizontal bars to connect two vertical bars. To find out the fate of each person, simply follow the path from top to bottom.

So, to which of these kuji will you entrust your fate?