Japanese fortune methods include: omikuji (paper fortunes available at Shinto shrines, especially during the New Year holidays); traditional fortune charts; kokkuri-san (a gamelike technique that uses coins believed to be possessed by animals such as foxes with supernatural powers); wishmaking sheets (in which people write wishes on the right side of a card and receive an answer when he left side is heated) and Dobutsi Uranai (animal fortunes based on Chinese yin and yang theory and the five elements). Marks left by chops are read for fortunes. The pronunciation of a name or number of lines required to write the name in kanji or katakana can also indicate good luck or bad luck. Omamori are charms that first appeared centuries ago to keep the gods alert and drive evil spirits away. Sold at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines for between $5 and $20, they are usually made of paper or wood and inscribed with sacred writings and kept in silk sacks They are kept close to the person, in a pocket or purse, like a rabbits foot. In recent times they have made a comeback and used for modern concerns like winning the lottery, passing exams and preventing car crashes. Most Japanese have at least one omamori. Many have several dozen. Famous sports figures and astronauts swear by them. Some Japanese buy them for their pets or have them downloaded on their cell phone screens. Sociologist have said that omamori have made a come back due to the stress of life in Japan. Animal and Food Fortunetelling in Japan Animal fortunetelling became popular in Japan after the publication in 1999 of a pocket-size guide, Human Nature Through Animal Fortunetelling. Combining elements of Chinese and Western astrology, it categorizes individuals, based on the year and date of their birth, as one of 12 creatures: elephant, cheetah, tiger, tanuki (raccoon dog), monkey, black leopard, sheep, koala, lion, wolf, deer and winged horses. Like astrology, each creature is linked with different characteristics and personality traits and gets along well with some creatures bit not others. Many newspapers and websites list daily fortunes for each creature. Kaiten-zushi fortune telling predicts the future and provides advise on financial, family and personal matters based on which five out of 12 sushi dishes an individual picks at a kaiten-zushi (moving sushi restaurant). You can also find Japanese websites that offer fortunes and advise based on yakatori bar selections, sea creatures (determined by birthday and blood type), cell phone numbers, subway stop on Tokyo's Yamanote Line, vegetable signs and monsters (including a werewolf, Dracula and Medusa). Weird Fortunetellers in Japan The film Shocking Asia, showed a female fortunetellers on the streets of Japan who predicted the future by examining her customer's anus. The clients entered a van, paid a fee, pulled down their pants and the woman examined anuses and told them their fortunes. In Kobe there is a fortune teller who predicts the future by studying the route walked by a queen ant on a tabletop. Fortunetelling Scams in Japan In recent years there have been a number of reports of fortunetellers demanding that their clients fork over large amounts of money—sometimes thousands of dollars—for things like a years worth of prayers or the recovery of lost spiritual power. One religious organization was ordered by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to shut down its “change of fortunes” business on the grounds that it was using fraudulent means to obtain money from gullible people. In one exchange recorded at a hotel, a woman in her 70s was told her son’s life was weakening by a fortuneteller and told she could remedy the situation by paying $10,000 for a year’s worth of prayers. When the woman said she couldn’t afford that she was told she could the service for $7,300. The next day she withdrew the money from her bank account and turned it over to the fortuneteller. One former fortuneteller told the Yomiru Shimbun that she took a training course in which was that told that if an advice seeker was a woman, tell her she was “possessed by the ghost of an unborn baby.” If the woman said she never had an abortion or miscarriage the fortuneteller was advised to say. “Well, it must be the ghost of your mother’s lost baby.” The fortuneteller trainee was told to base the fees she charged “on how wealthy the advice-seeker seemed to be.” In Tokyo there are healing salons that offer fortune-telling based on divination and names sell goods such as Buddha paintings and charms against evil and inflated prices The owners of one salon was arrested for swindling a 44-year-old business man out of $40,000. Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Daily Yomiuri, Times of London, Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), National Geographic, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton’s Encyclope

I hate to have to do this, but I have been pushed too far. I have been scammed by a so-called friend. Here on Flickr, he is CriminallyChic. He is known as Anthony on LiveJournal and runs a community called Obsidiansociety. Here's the story. August 10: Anthony posted some things for adoption in his Flickr stream. I sent him a Flickr mail, asking about Moxie Teenz 2nd edition Tristen. We agreed on a trade. I would find DotD Ghoulia for him in exchange for Tristen. After work, I stopped at the store and bought her. August 11: We agreed to send our packages out on Friday, August 12th. August 12: I sent DotD Ghoulia to Anthony. This is when the funny shit begins, because I hear nothing. Not a peep about him receiving her and Tristen does not arrive. August 17: I Flickr mailed, asking if Ghoulia has arrived. August 20: Still no response, so I wrote again, saying I either need the money for Ghoulia or for him to send Tristen. I'm not happy at all. August 21: He FINALLY responded via Facebook, saying he mailed the package. It does not come. August 25: I Facebook messaged asking when he mailed. August 26: He responded, saying it was sent the 20th. "I'm not sure if it's my post office or a fluke. But if you don't get it today let me know." It hadn't come that day, so I told him. September 1: I Facebook messaged again, expressing unhappiness. September 3: Same. September 11: Same. And then he FINALLY responds. "Hi Lori. I'm not ignoring you or screwing you over. I can send you a copy of the USPS receipt and your money if your package hasn't come. I've had to pack and get ready for a move these past 2 weeks. It wasn't my intention to ignore you. Honestly. And it does look super shitty on my side. I totally understand your aggravation." Now I've moved many times over the years and I've always kept up on communication. I smell bullshit here. September 12: One month since I mailed his Ghoulia. September 13: I Facebook messaged again, saying that I needed either a copy of the receipt or the money by today. September 18: Nada. Of course. I didn't really expect anything. So that was the last straw. I'm making this scumbag's shitty behavior public. Bear in mind that I have known this kid for YEARS. He was someone I called a friend. Yet he had no trouble screwing me over. If you KNEW the situation looked "super shitty," then why didn't you try to fix it? I firmly believe he planned to scam me from the start. Well, enjoy that DotD Ghoulia. It cost you a friend and I will do my best to make sure people I know do not deal with you. So be warned, everyone. DO NOT send Anthony your money. DO NOT arrange a trade with him. He's a SCAMMER and a THIEF. If he can do this to a friend, he can do it to anyone.