Short answer: An omamori is a small Japanese good luck charm, traditionally sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each one carries a specific wish, such as health, love, safe travel, success in study or prosperity. People carry an omamori in a bag, on keys or in the car as a daily reminder of that wish, and traditionally replace it about once a year.
What does omamori mean?
The word omamori comes from the Japanese verb mamoru, to protect, so an omamori is roughly a protector or a charm. A traditional omamori is a small fabric pouch, often brocade, closed with a decorative cord. Inside is a paper or wooden slip with a prayer or blessing, and tradition says you should not open it.
What are the most common omamori blessings?
Every shrine and temple offers its own selection, but these wishes are among the most common:
- Health and long life, for yourself or someone recovering from illness
- Love and relationships, often called en-musubi, the tying of good connections
- Success in study and exams, popular with students before entrance exams
- Safe travel, including charms for cars and drivers
- Business prosperity and wealth, for shop owners and new ventures
- Protection and good luck, a general wish for safety and good fortune
How do people carry an omamori?
Most people tie their omamori to something they carry every day: a handbag, backpack, school bag, keys or a phone. Car charms hang from the rear-view mirror. Some people keep a charm at home, near the entrance or on a desk. The idea is simple: the charm is a small, constant reminder of the wish it carries.
How long do you keep an omamori?
By tradition, an omamori is kept for about a year. At New Year many people return their old charms to a shrine or temple, where they are respectfully burned, and choose new ones. A charm received as a gift or kept for sentimental reasons is often kept longer.
Is it okay to give an omamori as a gift?
Yes. Giving an omamori is a thoughtful way to say you are thinking of someone. People give them before exams, to a friend starting a new job, to someone who is unwell, before a long trip, or to a couple starting married life. The blessing you choose tells the person what you wish for them.
About our crane omamori charms
Our Origami Crane Omamori Charms are inspired by Japanese omamori and by the paper crane, a symbol of hope and long life. Each one holds a hand-folded 3 inch washi paper crane inside a slim, clear acrylic case with the blessing written in Japanese, finished with a cord in the blessing's color. They are decorative keepsakes, not charms blessed at a shrine, and they make a meaningful everyday reminder or gift.
You can choose from eight blessings: Protection, Wisdom, Wealth, Good Luck, Inner Peace, Love, Health and Longevity, and Success. Or let fate decide with the Secret Blessing mystery box. Pick three blessings and save 10% automatically at checkout.
Frequently asked questions
What is an omamori?
An omamori is a small Japanese good luck charm, traditionally sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each one carries a specific wish, such as health, love, safe travel or success.
Can you open an omamori?
Tradition says you should not open a shrine or temple omamori, because the blessing slip inside is meant to stay sealed.
How long should you keep an omamori?
Traditionally about one year. Many people return old charms to a shrine or temple at New Year and choose new ones, though gifts are often kept longer.
Where should you put an omamori?
Most people attach it to something they carry every day, such as a bag, keys or phone. Car charms hang from the rear-view mirror, and some people keep one at home.
Are Origamipolly crane charms real shrine omamori?
No. Origamipolly crane charms are decorative keepsakes inspired by omamori, made with a hand-folded washi crane inside a clear case. They are not blessed at a shrine.