Japanese Superstitions

Today I looked into Japanese superstitions and thought it would be fun to share what I found with everyone! are you superstitious? I am to an extent so its nice to know other superstitions in other countries if you plan to visit them, well in my opinion anyway lol.

Sleeping towards the North:
Do not sleep towards the North beacause bodies are laid down like that.

Funeral Car:
If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.

Cut nails at night:
If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

Lie down after eating:
If you lie down immedeately after eating, you will become a cow.

Whistle in the night:
If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.

Black cat:
There are also some imported superstitions such as the believe that black cats crossing the street in front of you cause bad luck.

Yaku-doshi:
In Japan, there are a few years in life called yaku-doshi - "evil years". They occur at different times for men (25, 42, 60) and women (19, 33), although these years are calculated from before birth using an old Chinese method.

Baby Name:
Each Japanese character or kanji contains a certain number of strokes and these are important when choosing a name for a baby. For the first name, only a certain number of strokes will go well with the number of strokes in the surname. The rules are complicated and a specialst book or expert is usually consulted. The number of strokes in characters is also considered important for compatibility of future partners.

February 3:
On the 3rd of February (start of Spring in the ancient calendar) dried soya beans are thrown out of the house while saying fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto - "good luck is inside, the devil is outside". This brings good luck for the coming year. Incidentally, the Japanese for bean is mame and the word for hard working is mamemameshii, so beans are eaten on this day to become stronger. Usually the number of beans you eat is equal to your age in years.

Butsumetsu:
Several times a month there is a day called butsumetsu. This symbolises the day that Buddha died and is an unlucky day to get married or to take part in any celebration.

Hara-obi:
During pregnancy, women wear a maternity belt called a hara-obi. This is first worn five months after conception on a "dog day" which also occur several times a month. The reason for this is that dogs are seen to be very good at giving birth without complications.

Activies:
In Japan, there are certain activities that shouldn't be done in the afternoon or evening. For example, you mustn't cut your fingernails or toenails in the evening. If you do, you won't be with your parents when they pass away. Why? I've no idea!

Whistling:
Similary, you mustn't whistle in the evening. If you do, snakes will appear, apparently.

New Shoes:
When you buy a new pair of shoes, you must wear them for the first time in the morning. Wearing them in the afternoon or evening will bring bad luck.

Needle and Thread:
Another cause of bad luck is using a needle & thread before leaving the house. You have been warned!

Kaso--House Floorplan:
Ancient Japanese thought that the plan of a house influenced its dweller's fortune. It is believed by many people still today. Fortunetelling by floorplan is called Kaso.

For example, house entrance put on the northeast of the house is called kimon. Ancient Japanese believed that kimon conjure hellish monster Oni. Even today, many people hate to put entrance in the direction.

Jichinsai, the Ritual to calm the Spirit of Earth:
Japanese hold the ceremony of Jichinsai to calm the spirit of earth when they build a new building or other installations such as highway, airport, etc.. In this ceremony, Kannushi, a priest of shinto, prays the success of building. Jichinsai is one of traditional shinto rituals. It was believed that if someone built a new house without permission of earth spirit, the spirit would got angry and destroy the building.

Bloodtypes:
It is widely belideved among Japanese that one's A/B/O bloodtype has great influence over his personality. About 100 years ago, a doctor researched the relation between bloodtype and personality, and concluded that the O-typed were good for army soldiers. Nowdays, most psychiartists and doctors say this research was wrong. However, many people still believe it. (man. . too bad i do not know my bloodtype. . )

Bloodtype A :
A man with bloodtype A is deligent, methodical, steady, and nervous.

Bloodtype B :
A man with bloodtype B has originality, but is fickle.

Bloodtype AB :
A man with bloodtype AB is sociable and sensitive.

Bloodtype O :
A man with bloodtype O is durable and resolute.


Omamori:
An Omamori is a lucky charm sold at Jinja, a shinto shrine. Each shrine has a spirit which has one or several powers. For example, Dazaifu Tenmangu in Kyushu island has the spirit of Sugawara-no-Michizane, a famous scholar in 9th century. It is considered as a god of achademy, so its omamori is very popular among high school students / graduates who take college entrance examinations. Omamori for easy delivery are also popular.

Playing with Fire:
If you play with fire, you will wet your bed.(It makes children aware of the danger of fire.)

Nervous:
When you are nervous, write "human beings" in Japanese on your palm three times and pretend to be swallowthem. It will help you to relax.



Well thats all for today, I've been so tired lately.