I think Japanese people like fortune-telling. But, of course, it’s not limited to Japan. There are all kinds of fortune-telling in other countries, and it seems that many people firmly believe in it. But in Japan, fortune-telling of constellations is broadcast every day on TV and radio. (Why is today’s fortune different depending on the broadcasting station, unlike the weather forecast?) Well, in Japan, face-to-face fortune-telling houses such as palmistry, tarot cards, and I Ching continue to prosper.

Fortune-tellers seem to have some clichés. For example, the phrase “You have talent, but it’s been hard to be recognized, haven’t you?” This seems to be used primarily for men. The other is the phrase “You’re having a hard time, right?” It seems to be used primarily for women. When he or she is told this sentence by a fortune teller, he/she is surprisingly convinced. In other words, these are common concerns in the human world.

When a person talks to someone about his or her worries, he probably already has his own answer and like to make sure. Sometimes you’ve got your answer before the consultation, haven’t you? I think it’s important what you choose and act from the answers given in the end.

Apart from this kind of personal consultation, in Japan, fortune-telling may determine the important things in life. For example, you may decide by fortune-telling as for where and when to live when you move. It is determined by the positional relationship with the place where you originally lived. This also seems to have no scientific basis, but it is useful. When my friend got married and decided on a new apartment, his partner said it was better to decide by fortune-telling. So they roughly decided where to live by fortune-telling, and also decided when to move. With these two factors, they were able to make a quick decision because there were fewer options for choosing an apartment. Fortune-telling in Japan has the effect of facilitating decisions in this way.