Drawing Omikuji on Setsubun: Resetting Your Fortune at the Lunar New Year

When most people think about drawing omikuji, hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the new year) likely comes to mind. However, according to the old lunar calendar, Setsubun marks the true turning point of the year and is the perfect timing to reset your fortune. This article provides a detailed explanation of the deep connection between Setsubun and omikuji, the meaning of reassessing your fortune at the lunar new year, and specific etiquette for Setsubun shrine visits.

Setsubun Is the “New Year’s Eve” of the Lunar Calendar

Setsubun falls around February 3 each year, and its original meaning is “the division of seasons.” There was a time when the day before each of the four seasonal turning points — Risshun (start of spring), Rikka (start of summer), Risshu (start of autumn), and Ritto (start of winter) — was called “Setsubun.” The day before Risshun became especially significant because Risshun was considered the beginning of the year in the old lunar calendar (Source: Japanese Events and Calendar).

In other words, Setsubun is equivalent to “New Year’s Eve” in the lunar calendar, and the following day, Risshun, corresponds to “New Year’s Day.” The fact that some regions in Japan still call Setsubun “toshikoshi” (year-crossing) shows that this understanding remains deeply rooted.

The practice of some people considering the validity of their hatsumode omikuji to last “until Setsubun” is based on this lunar calendar division. If the omikuji drawn on January 1 corresponds to the solar calendar’s new year, then drawing a new omikuji at Setsubun allows a fortune reset aligned with the lunar new year.

Drawing Omikuji on Setsubun Lets You Check Fortune at the “Double New Year”

In modern Japan, two calendars are embedded in daily life: the solar calendar (Gregorian) and the lunar calendar (lunisolar). We celebrate New Year’s on January 1 of the solar calendar, and feel echoes of the lunar calendar around Setsubun and Risshun. By leveraging this “dual calendar,” you gain two opportunities to check your fortune.

Comparing Solar New Year and Lunar Risshun Fortunes

Comparing your hatsumode omikuji with one drawn around Setsubun reveals how you have changed over the course of about one month. If your New Year omikuji said “Career – proceed with caution” but your Setsubun omikuji says “Career – favorable,” it may reflect the results of your conscious efforts since the start of the year.

Omikuji are like weather forecasts — what matters is how you act after learning the result. By checking at two milestones, the direction of the first half of your year becomes clearer. (For those whose hatsumode omikuji was unfavorable, Setsubun can be seen as a chance for a “do-over.”)

In Kusei Kigaku and Calendar Science, Risshun Is the “True New Year’s Day”

In the worlds of kusei kigaku (nine-star astrology) and feng shui, the beginning of the year is set at Risshun. When fortune tellers speak of “this year’s fortune,” they are often using Risshun (around February 4) as the starting point rather than January 1.

For example, “2026’s fortune” in kusei kigaku refers to the period from around February 4, 2026 (Risshun) to around February 3, 2027 (Setsubun). In other words, from an expert calendar perspective, Setsubun is the exact point at which fortune shifts. Drawing omikuji at this timing is a rational action aligned with the traditions of fortune-telling.

Specific Etiquette for Drawing Omikuji During a Setsubun Shrine Visit

There are no special rules specifically for drawing omikuji on Setsubun. The standard worship procedure works perfectly fine. However, being mindful of the Setsubun-specific flow enhances your shrine visit experience.

Basic Flow for a Setsubun Shrine Visit

1. Purify your hands and mouth at the temizusha (water pavilion)
2. Worship at the main hall with the nihai-nihakushu-ichihai (two bows, two claps, one bow) ritual
3. Express gratitude for the past year and share your wishes for the new year
4. Draw your omikuji
5. Participate in Setsubun mamemaki (bean-throwing) or yakuyoke (evil-warding) events if available

The key point during worship is to convey both “gratitude for the past year” and “wishes for the new year.” Since Setsubun corresponds to New Year’s Eve in the lunar calendar, it is a fitting time to simultaneously report your year-in-review and your new year’s aspirations to the divine.

You Can Keep Both Your Hatsumode and Setsubun Omikuji

Some people may wonder, “I already drew omikuji at hatsumode — is it okay to draw again at Setsubun?” The answer is that drawing omikuji multiple times is perfectly fine. The Association of Shinto Shrines sets no limits on the number of redraws (Source: Association of Shinto Shrines).

Carrying both your hatsumode and Setsubun omikuji and comparing them is a wonderful way to enjoy them. Tracking the change between your “hatsumode fortune” and “Setsubun fortune” provides an opportunity to objectively reflect on your situation. While there is a folk belief that carrying multiple omamori (charms) causes “the gods to quarrel,” no such belief exists for omikuji.

Setsubun Shrine Visits Offer Bean-Throwing and Evil-Warding Events

A major benefit of visiting shrines and temples around Setsubun is the opportunity to experience special events like mamemaki (bean-throwing) and yakuyoke (evil-warding). With the hatsumode crowds already gone, you can enjoy a calmer worship atmosphere.

Examples of Shrines and Temples with Famous Setsubun Events

Shrine/Temple	Location	Setsubun Event Features
Naritasan Shinshoji	Narita, Chiba	Unique bean-throwing without the “Oni wa soto” chant. Sumo wrestlers and celebrities participate
Sensoji	Taito, Tokyo	Chant of “Senshu banzai, fuku wa uchi.” Bean-throwing by men of the zodiac year
Yasaka Shrine	Kyoto, Kyoto	Bean-throwing by maiko and geiko. Participation by four geisha districts makes it especially colorful
Yoshida Shrine	Kyoto, Kyoto	Tsuina-shiki (demon-chasing ritual) dating back to the Muromachi period. About 800 vendor stalls
Osaka Tenmangu	Osaka, Osaka	Famous for tsuina-shiki (demon-chasing ceremony) performed by shrine maidens

Warding off evil spirits at a Setsubun event and then drawing omikuji makes perfect sense as a sequence of “clearing away the old year’s misfortune and then confirming the new year’s fortune.” (It follows the same logic as doing a thorough house cleaning before welcoming the new year.)

Setsubun Bean-Throwing Means “Expelling Evil and Inviting Good Fortune”

Setsubun mamemaki is not merely a seasonal event but a ritual to “drive away evil spirits (oni) and invite good fortune into the new year.” The chant “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (Demons out, fortune in) expresses the will to cast out the misfortunes of the old year and welcome good luck into the new year.

This concept of “purging evil spirits before restarting” resonates with the idea of redrawing omikuji. If your hatsumode omikuji produced worrying results, warding off evil at the Setsubun mamemaki and then drawing a fresh omikuji provides the psychological effect of “receiving new fortune in a purified state.”

There is also the custom of eating beans equal to your age on Setsubun, which carries the meaning of “absorbing good fortune into your body in proportion to your years.” Eating beans to take in fortune and drawing omikuji to receive new guidance for the year — Setsubun offers the advantage of consolidating multiple fortune-boosting actions.

Understanding the Relationship Between Setsubun and Yakudoshi Changes How You View Fortune

The counting of yakudoshi (unlucky years) also involves Setsubun and lunar calendar concepts. Many shrines recommend receiving yakuyoke (evil-warding) prayers “by Setsubun,” based on the idea that evil should be warded off before the start of the new lunar year at Risshun.

The Significance of Drawing Omikuji on Setsubun During Yakudoshi

For those in a yakudoshi year, Setsubun omikuji hold special significance. Drawing omikuji alongside yakuyoke worship provides an opportunity to learn “what is being asked of you right now” from the divine.

While yakudoshi is often feared as “a year when calamity strikes,” it originally signifies “a turning point in life.” The wisdom of ancestors is embedded in the concept, cautioning that these are ages when physical condition and circumstances tend to change, so one should live more carefully. Being mindful of the cautions written on your omikuji can provide hints for navigating your yakudoshi year positively.

Gender	Mae-yaku (pre-unlucky)	Hon-yaku (main unlucky)	Ato-yaku (post-unlucky)
Male	Ages 24, 41, 60	Ages 25, 42, 61	Ages 26, 43, 62
Female	Ages 18, 32, 36, 60	Ages 19, 33, 37, 61	Ages 20, 34, 38, 62

(Note: These are based on kazoedoshi, the traditional Japanese counting method. Adding 1 to your actual age gives the approximate equivalent.)

Use Setsubun as the Catalyst to Make “Redrawing Omikuji” a Habit

Many people only draw omikuji once a year, during hatsumode. However, omikuji are inherently “advice for the current you,” and it is natural to seek fresh advice when circumstances change.

Setting Setsubun as a “regular timing for redrawing omikuji” creates a habit of visiting a shrine and checking your fortune at least twice a year. Even for those who find daily fortune checking too demanding, twice a year — at New Year’s and Setsubun — is manageable.

Three Points to Check with Your Setsubun Omikuji

• How has your fortune changed compared to your hatsumode omikuji?
• Does the omikuji’s advice align with the goals you set at the start of the year?
• Is there anything written that you should be mindful of heading into the end of the fiscal year (March–April)?

Drawing omikuji every day is like writing a diary, but even at twice a year you can sufficiently track your own changes. If someone whose hatsumode reading was “Career – proceed with caution” gets “Career – favorable” at Setsubun, it may be a sign that their efforts since the new year are bearing fruit.

Being Conscious of the Lunar New Year Makes “Fortune Reset” Feel More Real

“Resetting fortune” may sound abstract, but it is actually very simple. It means letting go of the content written on your hatsumode omikuji and receiving a new omikuji with fresh “guidelines for the future.”

Setsubun Is an Especially Good Opportunity for Those with Bad Hatsumode Fortune

For those who drew kyo (bad fortune) or suekichi (slight fortune) at New Year, Setsubun serves as the ideal psychological turning point. Dwelling on a kyo result is like despairing over a “needs attention” result at a health checkup. What matters is your subsequent behavior, and after spending a month being cautious, drawing a fresh omikuji at Setsubun lets you start anew.

From the lunar calendar perspective, once Setsubun passes, a “new year” literally begins. The kyo omikuji drawn at New Year can be thought of as completing its role along with the old year at Setsubun. Returning your old omikuji during a Setsubun shrine visit and drawing a new one — this sequence is what makes the fortune reset feel tangible.

Return Old Omikuji During Your Setsubun Visit

If you are drawing new omikuji at Setsubun, it is natural to return your hatsumode omikuji at the same time. Most shrines have a “furufuda-osame-sho” (used charm collection box) where omikuji can be returned. Returning them at a different shrine from where you originally drew them is perfectly acceptable.

Returned old omikuji are respectfully burned through otakiage (ceremonial burning) at the shrine. The act of “releasing with gratitude” itself serves as a ritual for achieving emotional closure.

Setsubun Omikuji Are Even More Fun When Read Alongside Eho

When people think of Setsubun, ehomaki (lucky direction sushi rolls) often come to mind. Eho refers to the auspicious direction where the Toshitokujin (deity of the year) resides and is considered favorable in all respects according to Onmyodo (the way of yin and yang).

Omikuji sometimes include a “direction” section. Checking the eho of Setsubun alongside the favorable direction on your omikuji reveals the direction to be mindful of for the year.

Year	Eho	Direction
2025	West-southwest	Slightly west-leaning
2026	South-southeast	Slightly south-leaning
2027	North-northwest	Slightly north-leaning

If your omikuji says “Direction – south is favorable” and the year’s eho is also south-southeast, a trip or outing to the south might bring good results. (Of course, this has no scientific basis, but it is an interesting way to use it as a guideline for action.)

When You Cannot Visit a Shrine on Setsubun, Online Omikuji Are a Substitute

Setsubun often falls on a weekday, and some people cannot visit a shrine due to work or school. Weather or health issues may also make going out difficult.

In such cases, using online omikuji services is an option. Drawing omikuji at home allows you to maintain the habit of checking your fortune at the Setsubun turning point without interruption.

• Draw online omikuji on Setsubun and save a screenshot
• Compare the content with your paper omikuji drawn at hatsumode
• After Risshun passes, visit a shrine for an orei-mairi (gratitude visit)

What matters is the act of “reflecting on yourself at the Setsubun milestone” itself, and there is no rule that you must physically visit a shrine. (Of course, if you can actually visit, that is even better.)

In Closing

Setsubun corresponds to New Year’s Eve in the lunar calendar, and the idea that a new year begins with Risshun the following day continues to be passed down to this day. Redrawing omikuji at Setsubun after hatsumode is a rational and enjoyable way to check your fortune at both the “solar new year” and the “lunar new year” — leveraging Japan’s calendar culture. For those whose hatsumode fortune was less than ideal, Setsubun is a valuable opportunity to reset and start fresh.

At Omikuji Sando, you can draw your personalized fortune based on your date of birth across 12 levels every day for free. You can check your fortune from home even on Setsubun. At this timing of welcoming the lunar new year, why not draw today’s omikuji?