Everywhere in the world has superstitions that will cause bad luck like in the U.S., the number 13, walking under a latter and much more. In Japan there is bad luck every where; clipping your nails at night, showing your belly button, and killing spiders are some ways to kill your experience in Japan. If the though of becoming cursed with bad luck while on your trip in Japan is unnerving to you, here are some well known Japanese superstitions and how to prevent them from coming your way.
Kita Makura/ The North Facing Pillow
Bring along a compass if you have to because you have to make sure your pillow isn't facing the north when you're heading to bed. The pillow facing the north is the same way corpses are positioned during funerals. So sleep in any direction you want but not north.
Clipping Nails at Night
The saying goes that - if you clip your nails at night you may not see your parents before they die. Don't clip your nails at night, just sleep and do it in the morning. Anyways it may be annoying to the people you live with to hear someone clipping their nails while they are trying to sleep.
Sticking Chopsticks Upright in a Bowl of Rice
Stabbing a bowl of rice with chopsticks placed upright is a gesture reserved for funerals only, this will earn you a few uneasy stares if you do this. To rest the chopsticks, use the hashioki (chopstick rest) position (lay them across the top of the rice bowl) or just lay them down on the table next to the bowl.
Avoid the number 4 and 9
You may notice that some buildings are missing the 4th and 9th floor and some hospitals are missing rooms 4 and 9. The reason for that is 4 is read as "shi" which means death, and 9 is read as "ku"which is the word for suffering.
Some maternity wards don't have the room number 43 "shi-san" because it means still born and for that reason many women ready to give birth avoid getting a room with those numbers.
Keep in mind when you are getting a gift for someone not to get 4 or 9 of the item...this can cause a bit of panic.
Whistling at Night
Japanese superstitions mostly come from old folk wisdom - night time is quiet time, and those who make noise will be targeted by the bad guys.
The Broken Geta Sandal
In Japan, the popping off of a geta strap causes bad things to come, while in the west, its the breaking of a mirror. If you can't bear the thought of bad luck geta, don't buy cheap geta from the 100 yen shop.
Pointing Your Index Finger or Thumb in The Presence of a Hearse
Aiming your index finger toward the dead implies insult, but the thumb is supposedly worse - the word for thumb is "oya- yubi", oya means parent. Exposing your thumb or oya in the vicinity of a hearse means that your parents will be the next to die.
Just keep your hands in your pockets if you're unsure - that way you don't wish ill on your parents or unintentionally insult a spirit.
Morning Spiders VS Evening Spiders
I don't know how this rule cam about - Hold off from killing the morning spider because it is auspicious, but go ahead and kill the evening visitor spider, as pm spiders are considered bad luck. Not really sure how this will apply to a pet spider.
Yakudoshi (Bad Luck) Year
Men and women are known to have different bad luck years when obstacles and suffering are known to peak. If you have a bad luck year, don't worry, a few hundred yen at a local shrine will get you a special amulet or omamori - remember to ask for one made for Yakudoshi and always carry it with you at all times.
As tempting as it may be don't open your amulet pouch because you'll be hit with a double whammy of Yakudoshi and bachi (curse) if you do.
Women Born During the Year of The Fire Horse
Every 60 years the year of the fire horse or hinoe uma occurs - women born then are considered fierce enough to destroy men, thus making them unlucky in love and marriage. If you or your spouse believes you are one, you or your partner must of been born in 1906 or 1966.
Your daughter may be a fiery fire horse if she was born in 2006. The next year of the fire horse is 2066 - if you didn't get a fire horse daughter and what one plan to give birth during 2066 to curse your daughter with bad luck in love and marriage.
Hide Your Belly From The Thunder God
If you sleep with you belly exposed during a thunder storm, you may wake up to a button less belly which had been taken by the thunder god -or so folklore goes.
For peace of mind, get a haramaki - a wide, elastic cotton undergarment - which is worn over the belly to prevent a belly chill, and to steer the thunder god away from your innie or outie (he likes both). The good thing about a haramaki is that you can wear it as a micro mini skirt low on the hips, or a tube top and they come in many different colors.
So for those of you that are conflicted by curses and bad luck, those are some famous superstitions and ways to prevent bad luck from going after you.
-The more you know~
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