There's a scene in the movie where Charlotte is walking alone in Kyoto, and she walks up to a tree that appears to be covered in white papers.
She wraps a piece around a branch and walks away.
Does anyone know what that means?
My thought is that perhaps the tree is like a wishing well, and people are writing down their wishes or prayers and wrapping them to the branches.
Although it's likely that I'm wrong, because I know nothing of Japanese culture / landmarks.
2007-05-15 09:51:38 · 5 answers · asked by Furr. 4 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Japan
♡Shrines sell "omikuji" which is a piece of paper with your fortune written on it.
http://tama.no-blog.jp/sonokoto/images/omikuji.jpg
Omikuji
"Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips found at many shrines and temples. Randomly drawn, they contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo ("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted."
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html
☆You can read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omikuji
Lovely custom, I have done it many times!
http://www.univie.ac.at/rel_jap/bilder/izumo_omikuji.jpg
http://www.tetra-blue.net/weblog/photo/image/IMG_4460_omikuji.JPG
http://www.kancycling.com/Destinations/NorthKyushu/NorthKyushuStory/NorthKyushuStoryImages/Omikuji.jpeg
http://soratobukiki.air-nifty.com/again/images/omikuji_thumb.JPG
http://orange2cv.up.seesaa.net/image/omikuji.jpg
Get a 'cyber omikuji' here:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~EB3Y-KKTK/omikuji/omikuji.html
Hope this helps!♡
2007-05-15 12:59:12 · answer #1 · answered by C 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
It's not special. It is a regular scene in Japan during festival times.
Basically,those white papers are prayers, tied onto the trees by the people who visit the shrine.
You are right, basically. I think the movie just wanted to get in a "different from America" shot of Japan. Or maybe they were trying to draw similarities between that scene and the American "Tie a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree".
Either way, I thought the movie show the worst of Japan. Not good PR for Japan.
2007-05-15 17:28:11 · answer #2 · answered by Looking for the truth... 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
When people do that, they are writing a prayer on that piece of paper. By leaving at the temple, it can bring good luck. Or a person can hope that their wish comes true.
2007-05-15 10:05:59 · answer #3 · answered by Adam 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Lost In Translation Kyoto
2017-02-20 15:46:42 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah you write your wish on the paper and you get it granted and/or get good luck.
2007-05-15 20:23:16 · answer #5 · answered by twikfat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋