Yuga Shrine Honmiya in Kojima. With a history spanning more than 2,000 years, it is visited by many worshippers from inside and outside the prefecture as the head shrine for warding off misfortune. Many Kurashiki City residents may also visit for their first shrine visit of the New Year.
When visiting a shrine, the things you are sure to see are amulets and omikuji fortune slips.
In 2025, Yuga Shrine Honmiya will begin offering a new amulet, the “Sanada-himo Amulet.” Made using Sanada-himo, a traditional local craft, this amulet is packed with thoughtful details.
We’ll introduce it alongside the “Nine Star Omikuji,” which has been offered since 2023.
The information provided is as of the article’s publication in December 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What are Yuga Shrine Honmiya’s new amulet and omikuji?
Yuga Shrine Honmiya is located on Mt. Yuga in Kojima.
Known as the head shrine for protection against misfortune, it welcomes more than 350,000 worshippers for their first shrine visit of the New Year.
There is plenty to see throughout the shrine grounds, including a torii gate made of Bizen ware, the “Yakedama no Gi” ritual, in which visitors throw and break ceramic balls imbued with misfortune, and the “Tako God,” a nod to the area’s famous octopus.
One of Yuga Shrine Honmiya’s great attractions is that it offers amulets and goshuin stamp books created in collaboration with local businesses.
The “Sanada-himo Amulet,” made in collaboration with Sakamoto Orimono
The Sanada-himo Amulet will be newly offered from 2025. It was created in collaboration with Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd., which makes Sanada-himo in Kojima.
Cotton cultivation once flourished in Kojima, where a variety of textile products and fabrics were made, and the area prospered as a “textile town.” Sanada-himo is also one of Kojima’s signature textiles. It was named after the Sengoku-period warlord Sanada Yukimura, who wrapped it around his sword hilt. It is sometimes called the world’s narrowest woven fabric.
Made from cotton or silk, Sanada-himo is extremely strong and resistant to stretching. In the past, it was used as a sword cord and to fasten armor.
The Sanada-himo Amulet carries two wishes: success at work and traffic safety. Its blue threads evoke the Seto Inland Sea and Kojima denim, and its design is easy for anyone to wear.
The offering is 1,000 yen.
The “Nine Star Omikuji,” based on a familiar calendar
The Nine Star Omikuji is an omikuji based on Nine Star Ki, and has been offered since 2023.
Nine Star Ki is a form of divination derived from the ancient Chinese Nine Star system. Based on your date of birth, you are assigned to one of the following nine stars, which reveal your personality and fortune, compatibility, auspicious and inauspicious directions, and the feng shui of your home.
- Ichihaku Suisei (One White Water Star)
- Jikoku Dosei (Two Black Earth Star)
- Sanpeki Mokusei (Three Blue Wood Star)
- Shiroku Mokusei (Four Green Wood Star)
- Goo Dosei (Five Yellow Earth Star)
- Roppaku Kinsei (Six White Metal Star)
- Shichiseki Kinsei (Seven Red Metal Star)
- Happaku Dosei (Eight White Earth Star)
- Kyushi Kasei (Nine Purple Fire Star)
“One White Water Star” and “Five Yellow Earth Star” may look like unusual four-character expressions, but when you read them one character at a time, you can see they combine familiar kanji for numbers, colors, and stars.
Nine Star Ki has long been practiced in China as a form of folk belief. It is said to have eventually been introduced to Japanese Onmyodo (the practice of using astronomy and calendars to divine good and bad fortune), and then spread among the general public.
The Nine Star Omikuji is packed with information: it explains your fortune and auspicious or inauspicious prospects based on your star, as well as the qualities associated with each star, lucky items, and advice. It is an unusual omikuji that tells you not only about your fortune but also about your own nature.
The Nine Star Omikuji reveals your fortune from the beginning of spring until Setsubun the following year. The offering is 300 yen.
During the New Year period, you can get an omikuji by telling the amulet office your year and month of birth.
Interview with the staff
We spoke with a staff member about how the Sanada-himo Amulet and Nine Star Omikuji came about.
About the Sanada-himo Amulet
Could you tell us how it was developed and what led to the collaboration with Sakamoto Orimono?
Many of the amulets we had offered at Yuga Shrine were cute and were especially popular with women.
We thought, “We’d like to create an amulet that men would also feel comfortable carrying,” so we reached out to Sakamoto Orimono, with whom we already had a connection, and began working on it.
We approached Sakamoto Orimono because they have a long-standing relationship with Yuga Shrine and were easy to consult with. We’re grateful that they were flexible in responding to our requests about colors and patterns.
In fact, Sakamoto Orimono had previously suggested that we carry Sanada-himo amulets. There is a stone monument on Mt. Yuga honoring Sanada Yukimura, who passed down Sanada-himo, so I think that connection played a part as well.
I’ve heard that Sanada-himo helped Kojima prosper as a “textile town.” During the Edo period, Sanada-himo was sold along the approach to Yuga, bringing life to the town. The textile industry flourished as Sanada-himo weaving techniques developed.
Were there any details you were particularly careful about?
When we consulted Sakamoto Orimono, they reassuringly told us, “We can weave a wide variety of patterns,” so we wanted to create a pattern original to Yuga Shrine.
The thing that took the most time was choosing the colors. We wanted a color that anyone could pick up, regardless of gender, so we looked at color samples and went back and forth, trying different options. After several months of trial and error, we finally arrived at a beautiful blue.
We also paid close attention to the pattern, choosing a design that doesn’t show dirt easily.
Since we wanted a pattern connected to the shrine, our first thought was to make the amulet a gradient starting with white, because the color of shrine priests’ hakama changes from white to darker colors according to rank.
Sakamoto Orimono then advised us that “white at the ends might show dirt,” so we placed darker colors at both ends to make dirt less noticeable. We also discussed and adjusted the thickness of the threads so that the five colors would form a beautiful gradient, and the original Yuga Shrine pattern was complete.
It’s shaped like a strap, so it’s easy to attach to things like office or car keys and convenient to carry.
You’ve collaborated with local businesses before. What do you hope to achieve through these projects?
Above all, we don’t want to lose traditional crafts that have been passed down for generations.
Yuga Shrine has collaborated with local specialties, including this Sanada-himo Amulet, the Bizen ware Bizen Amulet, and goshuin stamp books made with denim, canvas, and tatami edging.
I believe that there are cultural traditions we can protect by continuing to connect the shrine with traditional crafts, and I hope these efforts can help revitalize the region. We want to pass on the techniques and culture of traditional crafts handed down through the generations to those who come after us.
By the way, some people have come all the way from Ibaraki specifically to get the Bizen Amulet. When I see someone react with “This is it!” I feel happy, thinking, “Ah, this is what they came all this way for.”
The shrine is up on a mountain, so I imagine it can be difficult to get here. I’m truly grateful that people come from far away.
Who would you recommend the Sanada-himo Amulet to?
It is an amulet for success at work and traffic safety, so we pray for those who use cars or other forms of transportation in their daily lives, and for progress and success at work and good connections.
Many people struggle with relationships at work, so we also pray that their connections with others will take a positive turn.
The Nine Star Omikuji
Could you tell us how the Nine Star Omikuji came about?
People come to the shrine with all kinds of questions. Many visit with concerns about the timing of their wedding or the feng shui of their home, as well as matters related to the year’s fortunes or auspicious directions.
The questions range widely, from major events such as ground-breaking ceremonies and weddings to concerns that arise in everyday life. The original idea was to create an omikuji that would be a familiar, useful resource for everyone.
We thought we should use the calendar, which is inseparable from our daily lives, and created the Nine Star Omikuji under the supervision of Jingukan Takashima Calendar, a well-known calendar publisher.
It includes not only the year’s fortune but also the qualities associated with each star and advice, so we hope it can be a useful reference when making decisions.
It’s unusual for an omikuji to tell you about your personality, isn’t it?
That’s right. It can be interesting to discover a new side of yourself and think, “So this is the kind of nature I have.”
The Nine Star Omikuji only began in 2023, and we’re still experimenting, asking ourselves, “What kind of information would be useful?” Even just reading a calendar book reveals so many things that we sometimes struggle to decide what to select and share.
What makes the Nine Star omikuji unique?
I think regular omikuji are mainly about trying your luck. The Nine Star omikuji, however, offer advice and insights into compatibility between stars—things that can only be divined through Nine Star Ki.
Shrines and the calendar have a deep connection, and I think the omikuji make use of that by offering content that can be helpful to everyone.
They have been distributed since 2023. What kind of response have you received?
Many people are delighted because there is so much to read, including information about personality traits, favorable and unfavorable months, and compatibility with other stars.
They cover a variety of topics, but don’t use difficult language, so we’ve heard people say they are “easy to read” and “easy to understand.”
Since all we need is your birth year and month, some people order them for their family and friends, too.
They’re easy to read and fun, so I’d be happy if you read them together and share the enjoyment.
A message to readers
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
When you have something on your mind, we hope you’ll visit our shrine and that we can help you feel a little lighter or give you a change of pace.
All our staff look forward to welcoming you to the shrine.
From the Writer
The writer moved here from Kanagawa, but has never seen amulets or goshuincho made using traditional crafts at local shrines.
Through this reporting, I learned about a new way to revitalize a community: “shrines preserving local traditions.” I found it very enlightening. Placing collaborative local specialty products at the shrine can also give tourists a reason to visit the area, so I think it is a wonderful initiative.
It seems best to draw a Nine Star fortune slip once a year. The writer used to draw one every time they visited a shrine, so next year they plan to consult their fortune just once.
The Sanada-himo amulet and Nine Star fortune slips are available only at Yuga Shrine. Why not pick one up as a companion for the New Year?
Sanada-himo Amulet and Nine Star Fortune Slip Information
| Name | Sanada-himo Amulet and Nine Star Fortune Slip |
|---|---|
| Location | 2852 Yugasan, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-477-3001 |
| Parking | Available There are first and second parking lots |
| Enshrined deities | Taokihooi-no-Mikoto Hikosashiri-no-Mikoto Kamunaohi-no-Mikoto Oonaohi-no-Mikoto Principal image of Buddha: Amida Nyorai (Amitabha), Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha) |
| Blessings | Protection from misfortune Protection from disasters Traffic safety Safety in construction and civil engineering Household safety Improvement in artistic skills Increased wealth Business prosperity Matchmaking and success in love Blessing of children and prosperity of descendants Prayers for success in examinations And more |
| Goshuin (offering) | Available (300 yen) |
| Visiting hours | Visiting hours: anytime |
| Reception hours | 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Admission | No admission fee |
| Website | Yuga Shrine Honmiya, Head Shrine for Protection from Misfortune |
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