A popular shrine (神社, Jinja) amongst locals for matchmaking and love, this shrine houses 5 deities, two of which are married couples. As such, many singles looking for love, and married couples looking for a long and prosperous marriage often come to this shrine to pray.
Unlike other shrines where the omikuji (おみくじ, Sacred Lot) is typically done by pulling a number or taking a slip of paper, the omikuji at Hikawa Shrine requires you to go fishing for it. When you arrive at the shrine, you’ll notice large containers filled with wooden fish in red, pink and white colors. These fish are shaped as tai (鯛, Sea Bream), which is also a homomym for fortune in Japanese.
At the side of each container, you’ll see a small donation box for ¥300. Just drop your coins in, pick up a small fishing rod at the side, and then fish for your fortune. Once you get your catch and pull it out, you’ll find a slip of paper tucked into it, and that paper will tell your fortune. Note that the white and pink fishes are for fortunes in love, and the red ones are for general fortunes.
