Nebuta Festival 2014

I was really happy to catch a few days of Aomori's famous Nebuta Festival once more before my official move to Tokyo this year. I've gone every year while living in the city and written about it previously in this blog. However, it felt so different this time around.

I had already moved out of my apartment and had nearly finished everything related to my departure. I felt both accomplished and empty. As I stayed at my friend's place and had no real obligations left at work, I felt like I had pulled my Aomori roots out of the ground and had not yet replanted them. No doubt I was excited to start my new life and relieved to have everything well lined up, but my mood was pretty mellow.

I had participated in the parades as much as possible the previous three years; I took hundreds of photos and didn't miss a single day. This time around, I decided to take it easy and simply watch the event. I took some photos here and there. I met up with a few friends and drank a few beers. It was a very casual affair for me, but I enjoyed it. Though rest assured, I will be joining the festival in full vigor again in the near future.

Boys pulling one of the large Nebuta floats in the parade

Volunteers watch on as a group of dancers jump

Several friends in Japanese yukata enjoying the event

Tsugaru-nuri: Traditional Japanese Lacquerware from Aomori

NOTE: I have one more tsugaru-nuri post to make in the future, but this is the main one!

My personal tsugaru-nuri goods (The chopsticks were crafted by myself)

A few months ago I attended a local cultural workshop in which I learned and participated in the process of crafting tsugaru-nuri hashi (津軽塗箸), or "Tsugaru lacquered chopsticks". What a cool experience it was! The unique procedures and techniques required to produce tsugaru-nuri crafted goods come from the traditional Tsugaru culture of Aomori Prefecture, so it was a terrific opportunity to learn about both the craft and the local culture. It also inspired me to not only share what I've learned, but also gain a better understanding of the culture as a whole.

Regions of Aomori: Tsugaru and Nanbu

So what is "Tsugaru" anyway? Well, Tsugaru and Nanbu are the two main cultural-historical regions of Aomori Prefecture. Tsugaru-chihō (津軽地方地方, Tsugaru "region") occupies the west and central area, whereas Nanbu-chihō (南部地方, Nanbu "region") takes up most of the eastern side including the Shimokita Penninsula. Since each were different political domains in the Edo Period (17th-19th century), each developed distinct local cultures influencing language, music, art, and more.

Map Showing Tsugaru and Nanbu Regions of Aomori Prefecture

Personally, I've been most exposed to Tsugaru culture since Aomori City falls into this region and I lived there for years. And since the local art tradition of Tsugaru-nuri is so common, it didn’t take me long to see it.

What is Tsugaru-nuri (lacquerware)?

Tsugaru-nuri is a special craft/paining technique applied to a wide variety of lacquerware goods; most common are chopsticks, bowls, plates, and things of that nature. But nowadays, artists have gone much further than this to include less traditional objects like smart phone cases, jewelry, and keychains, just to name a few. The craft has numerous styles, including 4 special techniques which can also be expressed in various colors, patterns, and glosses.

Learning the Local Craft for yourself

It takes many years of practice to master the craft, but there are still opportunities for everyday people to learn about process and even participate. For a long time I was unaware of these opportunities, so when I finally heard that I could book a lesson to learn how to do it, I picked up the phone and made a reservation. I went to a museum called Nebuta-Mura (ねぷた村, "Nebuta Village") in Hirosaki, located about one hour southwest from Aomori City. 

Nebuta-Mura, a museum in Hirosaki

If you are interested, you can get more specific information about the museum from the following links: Japan-Guide (English) / Official Website (Japanese). It's worth noting that there are occasionally other opportunities elsewhere in the prefecture, so keep your eyes open if you are living in the area or about the travel there.

Making Tsugaru-nuri Chopsticks

The best way to learn about the actual process is to go and try it for yourself! And to be honest, I don't want to make this post too much longer. But here's some pictures of my experience to get some sense of it, I certainly hope this inspires others to try it sometime!

From start to finish, the steps in crafting tsugaru-nuri chopsticks

Much of the process involves using lightweight sandpapers

A great experience, please give it a try if you have the chance!

School Ceremonies in Japan (Beginning-of-Year)

In my last post I introduced the end-of-year ceremonies at Japanese public junior high schools. Now, just over a week later, it's time for the beginning-of-year ceremonies. 

First day of the new school year

Here's the same list I posted previously, but this time I have shown the beginning-of-year ceremonies in bold.

• Sotsugyōshiki (卒業式), Graduation Ceremony
• Shūryoshiki (修了式), Closing Ceremony
• Rininshiki (離任式), Farewell Ceremony
• Shinninshiki (新人式), Welcome Ceremony
• Shigyōshiki (始業式), Opening Ceremony
• Nyūgakushiki (入学式), Entrance Ceremony

You'll see that both groups of ceremonies (first three and last three) balance each other out nicely. The Farewell Ceremony is meant to say goodbye to the leaving teachers, whereas the Welcome Ceremony is meant to welcome the new incoming teachers. The purpose of the Closing Ceremony is to formally close out the school year; the opposite is true of the Opening Ceremony. And lastly, the Graduation Ceremony is for the third-year students who have finished their junior high school years, and the Entrance Ceremony is for the new first-year students who are just starting junior high school.

Note about naming conventions: In the U.S., students in junior high school are generally referred to by their overall grade level, such as "6th-graders, 7th-graders, and 8th-graders". But in Japan, it's relative to their current school level, such as "1st-graders, 2nd-graders, and 3rd-graders". For example, a first-year junior high school student will be called a "1st-grader" (一年生, ichi-nensei ). It can be confusing so I've tried to simply avoid this ambiguity altogether, but I couldn't really get around it in several parts of this post, which is why I bring it up now. In particular, I have to describe the teachers in this way because I don't know how else to do so without it being even more confusing! So in the context of this post, "first-grade teachers," for instance, refers to junior high school teachers who teach first-year students.

Shinninshiki (新人式), Welcome Ceremony

Every March a group of teachers must leave their current school. As I described before, the typical reason for this is normal school transfers. This is usually how each school that lost teachers gains new ones from school year to year as well. Occasionally several of the new faces include brand new teachers, or those yet to pass their teaching license exams and technically still in the training phase. In addition to teachers, the principal, vice-principal, or any other schools staff are all subject to transfers and similarly move around between local schools. Despite a few drawbacks, this system provides quite a few benefits. Namely, the constant flow of teachers and staff to different schools allows each to gain various experiences and work with an extensive variety of different people during their careers.

Incoming teachers introduce themselves to students

During the ceremony, the incoming teachers are welcomed into the school then brought on stage to give short self-introductions. This is only for the second- and third-year students; the new kids don't come until later during the last ceremony of the day (see below). The rest consists of the usual things, including a few speeches and chorus singing.

Shigyōshiki (始業式), Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony immediately follows the Welcome Ceremony (at my school). This one is quite simple and quick. There's another speech, some more singing (including the school anthem), and more bowing. 

Additionally, the second- and third-grade teachers now come on stage to be quickly introduced to students. Although students already know many of the teachers, they don't yet know who will be their specific teachers for the new school school. This is when they can find this out as the information about which grades and class sections the teachers are assigned to is revealed.

At my junior high school, each grade is split into four or five class sections (組, kumi). For example, second grade consists of the following: 2-1 (grade 2, class 1), 2-2 (grade 2, class 2), and so on. In Japan, students stay in their classroom for all general classes while teachers move between classrooms depending on the class section they are teaching. Of course, for certain subjects like art, music, or home economics, students move to other classrooms. They also go to the gym for P.E., as you would expect. Perhaps I'll go into more detail about the school system in a future post.

Just after the ceremony has finished, the student affairs chief and student guidance chief come on stage and bark at students again; It's hard for me to understand exactly what is being said when they do this, but I believe it's mostly to warn them to behave during the next ceremony. 

Nyūgakushiki (入学式), Entrance Ceremony

Finally, the Entrance Ceremony is held to welcome the new first-year students. This is nearly equal in scale and importance as the Graduation Ceremony. The students have to practice beforehand and be on good behavior as their parents and family come to watch.

The upperclassmen sing for the incoming first-year students

Remember I talked about how all these ceremony balance so well? Just like during graduation when the third-year students' names are read aloud (to collect their diploma), in the Entrance Ceremony the first-grade students' names are read aloud (officially making them students of the school). There are other similarities as well. Students sing several songs, including the school anthem, national anthem, and one additional song which the upperclassman sing directly to the new kids. A long speech from the principal is given. Several current students read some words of encouragement to the new students. Also like the previous two ceremonies, teacher introductions are done. This time, it's the first-grade teachers who are introduced to the new first-year students. 

The end of the ceremony marks then real beginning of the new school year. It's the start of something totally new for the first-graders. They always have a lot to learn and will have to grow up more quickly than ever. From this point until the following year's closing ceremonies, they will experience many physical and emotional changes. The boys start to rapidly grow taller. The girls start to become young women. They all begin to understand the new pressures of junior high school. The second-graders are in a transition period, still holding on to their youth and immaturity but trying to figure themselves out. It's a big year for the third-graders. They generally seem to have a better appreciation for their school life, and for the majority of students, must work harder than ever to prepare themselves for the soon-to-come high school entrance exams and their future steps past junior high.

School Assembly: Seitokai Setsumeikai (生徒会説明会), Student Council Briefing

Just a day or two following all of the ceremonies is also a school assembly called the Seitokai Setsumeikai. The purpose of this is to introduce the various school clubs (especially sports) to the new first-year students so they can get a better sense of which they might like to join. You can read more about it in this post.

***

Short Side Story: 

A funny thing happened to me this year during part of the Entrance Ceremony; I was standing in the back of the gym when the teachers walked on stage to be introduced. The vice principal started reading the names of each teacher as each stepped forward and bowed. He got to the last name and it was mine. As he started to read he noticed I wasn't up there. Frankly, I was just as surprised as him because I didn't know I was supposed to be up there in the first place. Oops.

Afterwards, I apologized and it certainly wasn't a big deal. But the case above brings up a really good point that I've learned while being here—half of the time I am never clearly informed about anything. 

A good example of this is when I'm sitting in the staff room and everyone suddenly gets up and leaves without saying anything to me. Later I'll find out that there was a fire drill (without alarms), and the whole time I was just sitting in the staff room wondering what the heck was going on. My guess is that I'm not verbally told about these things because I'm expected to read them from the dozens of papers handed out weekly or the notes written on the white boards in our staff room. 

I still haven't concluded whether this is a fair expectation or not. To be clear, I would never expect anyone in Japanese schools to specifically cater to me using English since this is Japan after all, but considering the circumstances (being hired for a job that specifically states that Japanese ability is not required), it would be nice to at least get the information (still in Japanese) verbally and clearly. Regardless, it has occurred to me that this is part of an even bigger overarching theme: if you're a foreigner in Japan that wants to truly fit in, you have to go 100%, or forget about it and face being alienated. For the record, I'm not here to criticize. I'm more interested in the observations and implications of this rather judging it to be good or bad.

And, there's an obvious caveat here—this is based on my personal experience and likely doesn't apply in every circumstance and in every part of the country. Still, I've been thinking about this a lot recently and I may write about in another post later.

School Ceremonies in Japan (End-of-Year)

In Japan, ceremonies (式, oshiki) constitute a deeply embedded component of Japanese culture and play an essential role in the country's customs. Their uses here extend beyond universal celebrations like weddings or religious rituals; they include events such as the Japanese tea ceremony, Coming-of-Age ceremony, New Year's ceremony, and more. They are also an essential part of work life. And as a teacher in the public education system here, I've been able to learn first-hand just how important they are in schools.

One of the busiest times of the year is during the early spring months. In March, the end-of-year ceremonies occur, followed by a short spring vacation for students. Then, in April, the beginning-of-year ceremonies take place (I actually touched on some of this in my very first blog post a year ago). All levels of schools have similar ceremonies, but for simplicity sake I'm going to focus on those at the junior high school level.

The main ceremonies (in order of occurrence) are included in the following list. The ceremonies in bold (end-of-year ceremonies) are the ones I'll be covering in this post, but I'll be sure to come back to the others in my next entry.

• Sotsugyōshiki (卒業式), Graduation Ceremony
• Shūryoshiki (修了式), Closing Ceremony
• Rininshiki (離任式), Farewell Ceremony
• Shinninshiki (新人式), Welcome Ceremony
• Shigyōshiki (始業式), Opening Ceremony
• Nyūgakushiki (入学式), Entrance Ceremony

Sotsugyōshiki (卒業式), Graduation Ceremony

The first ceremony in March and the first on my list is the Graduation Ceremony, Sotsugyōshiki. This is for students in their third year of junior high school who are graduating and moving on to high school (in most cases). It's a major accomplishment for the young teenagers because of the significant effort they must make to get accepted into their high school of choice. 

Students bow before and after receiving their diploma

Unlike the U.S. (from my experience) where we basically entered public high school based on proximity to home, Japanese students have to pass difficult entrance exams to do so. And contrary to general perceptions in the U.S., the high school you go to Japan is much more likely to have a lasting influence on your career. Students who don't pass exams cannot enter public high schools, so often must resort to expensive but (ironically) less-prestigious private schools. Another option for students is to enter a more career-specific school (like trade schools). If none of these options work out, then their life as students will essentially come to a close; Japanese public schools don't allow students to repeat grades.

Preparation for the big day is extensive and the amount of practice still surprises me; when I was a student in their shoes many years ago, we only had one practice. Maybe it's warranted though, as Japanese students have quite a lot of responsibilities in the ceremonies. All students have to memorize and sing several chorus songs; they must know the general timing and parts of the ceremony, and must be able to present themselves properly. Select students also must memorize their own speeches. Teachers even make students practice swiftly standing and sitting in unison. I don't know if all schools are this strict, but I believe the substantial amount of practice is common.

All students in the school sing several songs in the ceremony

Graduation day finally arrives in early March. It begins with a short speech and then goes straight into the diploma conferment ceremony in which students are summoned to the stage and are handed their diploma. This is very similar to the way this is done in other countries; the notable exception being that students bow instead of shaking hands with the principal upon receiving their diploma. Once all students have their diplomas, the graduation ceremony continues with speeches, chorus singing, and the presentation of messages from students. The speeches are pretty standard and consist of the types of language like "you've worked hard", and "good luck". The chorus singing is impressive though; the entire student body must participate actually puts in a great deal of effort. I never listen to this kind of music in my free time, but I love hearing it during these ceremonies and events. I'll admit, the boys' singing can be a little rough on the ears at times but the girls' have always amazed me with their voices. Lastly, groups of students from both the graduations classes and younger grades read aloud "messages" for each other, which can consist of memories, sport club accomplishments, etc. At the end of the ceremony, the graduates walk out of the gymnasium while everyone gives them applause.

Japanese JHS Diploma

Once the ceremony has finished, all students, parents, and teachers gather outside for a final send-off. As students say their goodbyes and depart the school, everyone claps and cheers them on again. Many also take photos with their friends and teachers. In my case, parents call me over so they can take pictures with their children. I'm obviously happy to do this, but it prevents me from getting any pictures with my own camera. So this year I made sure to at least grab a few before they went outside.

Publicly posting photos of students is generally prohibited and some people can be really strict about it. Thankfully I have permission to post this one below and I'm glad to finally put some real faces to the stories I write about (if you've read my blog for awhile, you see I avoid directly or clearly showing any students' individual faces in photos).

Posted with permission; picture of me with graduating students, 2014

The students above are really good kids; they represent some of the graduating students who were most interested in English and I'll definitely miss their enthusiasm next school year. One of my favorite things about teaching is getting to know students and hearing about their ambitions in life. I've always felt like teachers (of any subject) have great opportunities to inspire children and put them on the right direction as they grow. It's been a nice experience.

Shūryoshiki (修了式), Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony takes place about two weeks after the graduation. Since the third year students already graduated, only the first- and second-year students are in attendance, along with teachers. It's also shorter and more straightforward than the graduation ceremony. The principal or vice principal gives a quick speech, the students sing the school anthem as well as the Japanese national anthem. At the end of the ceremony, the student affairs chief (教務主任) and/or the student guidance chief (生徒指導主任) come on stage to warn students to behave themselves during the spring vacation. At my schools this often includes yelling to get their point across to the handful of knuckleheads in each class.

Students sing the school anthem during the closing ceremony

Rininshiki (離任式), Farewell Ceremony

The farewell ceremony is specifically for all teachers and staff who are leaving once the current school year has finished. School transfers are the most common reason for this, but occasionally other reasons may exist such as retirement or moving far away. There's a few interesting things I've learned about this.

Work transfers seem to be a pretty dominant characteristic of Japanese work life just as ceremonies are. I'm referring to work transfers in the sense of moving to a new location. From my experience, these seem to be common in many full-time jobs regardless of whether it's a company, public school system, or other working context. Around this time of the year, a number of teachers leave when they are transferred to new schools in the area, who are then replaced by transfers from other schools. How transfers are determined is not an exact formula and there are various reasons why they may occur. Nonetheless, they do not signify anything bad.

Teachers cannot request to be transferred on their own. For example, if a teacher wishes to move to another part of the country, he or she cannot transfer to the public school system in that region. According to my teachers, this still isn't allowed even for the purposes of marriage, taking care of elderly parents, etc. So unfortunately the only option would be to quit, and hope to get hired elsewhere (not an easy task in Japan).

At any rate, the farewell ceremony is for any teachers and staff who are being transferred. The entire school, including the recent graduates, attend this ceremony. The school members are honored by entering the gymnasium to applause, and then they proceed to seats set up on stage. After an opening speech, a student (or several students) approach the group of seated teachers and staff and present memorized messages to each person, thanking them for a job well done and good luck in their future. A bit later, each teacher then individually gives a speech to the whole school, reminiscing on their days at the school and the fond memories they have gained.

Again, students sing several songs. For the leaving teachers, it's the last chance for them to sing the school anthem and the last ceremony in general at that particular school. After another speech, the teachers walk out of the gym to another round of applause. One the ceremony is over, students at my school (divided into three large groups based on grade) meet one more time with the leaving teachers from their respective grades for a less formal, final goodbye.

End of the School Year

After the last ceremony, the school year is officially over and students excitedly run out of the school to freedom (although some have to stay for scheduled club activities). For the teachers, we have a special lunch together. And a few days prior we will have had a big work party (宴会, enkai) to celebrate as well.

The spring vacation gives the students a nice little break, but unfortunately for teachers, we still have to work! Anyway, that's all about the end-of-year ceremonies. In my next post I'll follow up with the beginning-of-year stuff.

The Japanese New Year

The way Japanese traditionally welcome in the new year is very different than the way most in the Western world do. I've been fortunate to experience many of these traditions and I'd to love to share some of the things I've learned along the way.

Please note that I'll refer to "the Japanese" and "Japanese people" for simplicity sake when describing the various traditions below, but I certainly recognize that other non-Japanese people (such as foreigners living in Japan) may participate and follow the same traditions.

Hatsumōde at Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, 2012

The Japanese New Year (oshōgatsu)

New Year’s (お正月, oshōgatsu) is one of the most important times of the year in Japan. It’s filled with many old traditions which every year most Japanese continue to follow in some way or another. Special decorations and ornaments are displayed in homes and throughout town. A variety of special food is prepared and eaten during the holiday. Families gather to partake in relaxed celebrations at home. And at shrines throughout Japan, large bells ring and long lines form as people make their first shrine visit of the new year.

Decorations (okazari)

In the final weeks leading up the the new year, people start preparing by setting up decorations and ornaments in their homes, offices, and sometimes businesses or shops. There are quite a few different types and variations used, and I’ll do my best to explain them clearly:

- shimenawa (注連縄, “straw rope”): made from rice straw, purified with water, and bound into various-width ropes.
- shimekazari (注連飾り, “straw rope decoration”): a small, wreath-like decoration made from shimenawa that’s hung on the front door of a home.
- matsukazari (松飾り, “pine decoration“ ): a modest ornament made of pine branches and straw; tied to the front gate of a home. 

- kodomatsu (門松, "gate pine”): slightly more elaborate decorations that are placed on the ground and used in pairs outside of homes and businesses; consisting of pine, bamboo, and straw rope (shimenawa). 

shimekazari; muzina_shanghai/flickr

The purposes for using the four decorations above are all very similar—to purify the entrance of a place and to keep bad things away. They are also believed to welcome ancestral spirits or god (神, kami) in the new year. I think it’s also worth mentioning that the individual materials often have special meanings behind them too. For example, pine (松, matsu), bamboo (竹, take), and plum (梅, ume) all represent positive attributes like longevity, vitality, and resilience, in Japanese culture.

kagami mochi; timtak/flickr

Another important decoration that used during the new year season is called kagami mochi (鏡餅, lit. “mirror mochi”). The basic parts of the decoration consist of a small stand holding two round, flat mochi (rice cakes) with a small bitter orange balanced on top. It’s said that the reason they are called “mirror” mochi is based on the round, flat shape, since ancient mirrors in Japan were round and believed to possess special powers. Today, people may display this decoration as a way to symbolize the continuity of family over many years.

New Year’s Postcards (nengajō)

People also must start to write and send out dozens of nengajō (年賀状). These are special postcards which are decorated with the new year’s zodiacal animal and written with messages expressing gratitude towards their friends, family, and colleagues. Like many customs in Japan, there is a social expectation that this be done. Last year I wrote many nengajō but it took me a very long time to do because I had to write Japanese in mistake-free and clear handwriting. However, I was so busy this year that it slipped my mind. Even though it's not my culture, I felt really guilty when I received nengajō this year without sending out any myself.

Here's a few nengajo that I received this year (2014)

To efficiently and properly deliver the sheer amount of these postcards received, the Japan Post has a special system in place to collect, organize, and hold these cards before delivering them on first few days of the new year.

New Year's Specialty Foods (osechi-ryōri)

Osechi-ryōri (おせち料理, "New Year Foods") generally come in colorful boxes called jūbako (重箱), and contain a wide variety of Japanese foods. Traditionally, women might take many hours and even several days preparing these boxes for their families to eat during New Year's. But nowadays, many people choose to simply buy ready-made boxes, which can be easily purchased from supermarkets or even convenient stores. The foods contained can vary from region to region, but some common things include fish cakes, rolled omelet, fish eggs, black soy beans, seaweed, shrimp, vegetables, and more. Also, each food has a special meaning, such as long life, prosperity, good health, etc. (Wikipedia has a good list).

Osechi; photo by apc33/Flickr (cropped)

I love the concept of osechi. You can try a huge variety of different flavors and textures in a meal that isn't too heavy nor unhealthy. The meanings for each food adds and interesting aspect to it as well. I think eating osechi during New Year's is a pretty neat experience!

New Year's Eve (ōmisoka)

What do Japanese families actually do on New Year's Eve, (ōmisoka, 大晦日)? I've never personally had the opportunity to celebrate with a Japanese family during this time, but friends have described it as basically hanging out with family and watching TV. Apparently there's a tradition of watching New Year's specials on TV, especially a singing competition called Kōhaku Uta Gassen, and Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende (no-laughing "batsu game"). Although still very popular, I've read that viewership has dropped significantly in recent years but I'm not sure exactly why that is.

New Year's Day and First Shrine Visit (hatsumōde)

The first day of the new year is a chance for Japanese people to do the "first" of many things in the year. One of the most important things is making their first shrine visit. This custom is called hatsumōde (初詣). Many people make their visit in the first few hours of the new year, but others may come in the following few days as well.

Right after midnight on new year's day, it's common for long lines to form at popular shrines as people await to approach the front of the main building and say a short prayer for a healthy and prosperous year.

People making a short prayer at Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka

How to pray at a shrine:
1. Upon entering the shrine premises, bow in front of the main gate (torii)
2. Purify yourself by washing your hands/mouth at the temizuya (water ablution pavilion).
3. Walk to the main shrine building, and throw money (saisen) in the box and ring the bell.
4. Bow twice, clap twice, then pray to the gods in silence.
5. Bow again before leaving the main building.

Religion and cultural tradition often blend together in Japan. For this reason, I would be inclined to describe hatsumōde as more of a "cultural tradition" rather than a purely religious one. Most Japanese people I know or have talked to are not particularly "religious" in the Western perception of religion, but still participate in traditions like the first shrine visit. In fact, even though shrines are based in Shintoism, it's just as common for Buddhists to visit shrines and say a prayer just like anyone that follows Shintoism. To be sure, I even confirmed this point with several Japanese teachers I work with.

Lastly, I'll mention that it's also common for people to buy omikuji (御御籤, or 御神籤). These are random fortunes written on small strips of paper. Fortunes indicate to what extent their prayers may come true, ranging from being very good to very bad; they also include predictions about a number of specific aspects of a person's life. I've bought omikuji many times (it's available throughout the year) and I typically get the moderately good or slightly bad fortune. I don't remember ever getting the best or the worst. I suppose that's a good thing. Anyway, for more details there's a good wikipedia page about omikuji.