About Collecting

The Rules

Omamori collecting began as a casual interest on my first trip to Japan. Many, many trips later, I have developed rules and some ideas about collecting.

1. Omamori must be purchased on-site. There are a few websites that sell omamori. Not only is their stock limited to a single shrine or two, it also takes away the experience of the shrine, the travel memory captured in the object.

Oh, and they'll totally overcharge you.

2. Omamori should have the name of the temple or shrine somewhere on the charm. This might be a small gold coin with the name, or just a simple scratching on the back. If the name does not come on the omamori, be sure to document it. When you gather a lot of omamori, it can become difficult to keep track. Also, if the temple or shrine has the name on the omamori, this means it has a uniqueness factor. Which leads us to...

3. Generic, unblessed, shopping mall omamori are not omamori. They are cell phone or key chain jewelry. If you purchase it at a random table in Tokyo, it doesn't count.

The name "omamori" means "honorable protection." In order for this omamori to serve its purpose as a spiritual talisman, it has to have been blessed in some manner. Most 'omamori' not sold at a temple or shrine will not be marked as from a temple or shrine. Which violates rules one and two.

And what's the point of just getting a random trinket from a sketchy table anyway?

4. Collected omamori do not have to be returned to their origin after a single year. Some believe that they lose their spiritual power and ought to be returned. As a collector with the goal to catch 'em all, this doesn't matter.