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- Wishing luck for all the students in the world Special! (October 19, 2009 - )
Around this time of the year, third year high school students in Japan start to prepare for one of their biggest events of their life - the University Entrance exams (Daigaku Jyuken). Japanese system is a lot different from SATs, ACTs, I.B, GCSEs, A-Levels, or the exam systems of other countries, but in whichever country they are in, the result of this big hurdle will manipulate their lives in one way or the other.
Even though the students are all prepared by studying lots and lots beforehand, they want to have something else to mentally cling on - something that might bring them "luck" - so they go to shrines and make their wish on the Ema, carry good luck charms / amulets (omamori), or try their luck on Omikuji, and so forth.
This article is dedicated to items that may bring luck. And we also picked up items from the work that has a lot of reference to this topic as well.
Good Luck Charm (Omamori)
If there is a survey on the TOP 10 items carried around by the Jyukensei (students who are taking entrance exams for university, or any other academic institutions from kindergarten to high school), a good luck charm for exams, getting pass the test (goukaku), academic achievement (gakugyo), etc, will enter as one of the top ranking items. In manga, anime, or videogame, a good luck charm comes in as one of the stereotype prop, with a girl (bit clumsy) who fancies the protagonist buys him an omamori, but that turns out to be a amulet for "safe delivery of a baby (anzan)".
In this section, we recommend "Gintama "Seven Lucky Gods" Good Luck Charm - Okita (to Achieve Academic Luck)". From "Gintama", there are several other types of good luck charms reflecting the power of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin), but since we are focusing on "something that may help students to get through their exams", we have selected this item.
For this charm, an image of Okita doing the cosplay of "Fukurokuju", who is the god of wisdom and longevity, is sewn on the surface. The crane at the back of the amulet is also regarded as one of the creatures that resembles good luck, and has the writing "Gakugyo Seiju", which means to achieve good academic results. Inside the charm, there is a paper with the image of Okita, to write in the wish.
From the same charm series, the amulet of Takasugi is for "to ward off evil - yakusai (evil / misfortune) shoujo (delete and put out)". Carrying this around may clear out the misfortunes that may come - in this case, "not passing the exams".
Other than "Gintama", we also have "Netsuke Good Luck Charm" provided for the each of the characters in the popular game "Hiiro no Kakera3". The charms that may bring luck to passing exams are the Mahiro's "Goukaku (passing exams, tests)" and Shinji's "Gakugyo (academics)" charms.
On the other hand, if you want to be protected in a very broad sense, then we recommend the Oyashiro-sama amulet from the "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni". Oyashiro-sama seems to have lots of power... so if you buy it, better treat it with respects!
Omikuji
Omikuji - the "sacred lottery". Usually, this is the random fortune you purchase at Shinto shrines, but like in our store, they are available as "character goods" as well. Omikuji has various levels of fortunes, but they usually include more or less 5 of them: Dai-kichi (great / big blessing), Chu-kichi (middle blessing), Sho-kichi (small blessing), Kichi (blessing), and Kyo (Curse). With the omikuji we offer, you can find out the fortune of the day, or make a wish and take out the omikuji stick to find out what may happen with that wish. But as we say, "Ataru mo hakke, ataranu mo hakke (Every bullet has its billet)" - if you get a good fortune, then you trust in that, but if you don't then don't take that too seriously and go on with your day.
For this section, we recommend Suguru version of the "Soukoku No Kusabi Hiiro no Kakera3 Netsuke Good Luck Charm with Omikuji" series. Suguru earns most of his living from stocks, so if you can get the Dai-kichi from him, then your exam may go well.
We also offer "Netsuke Good Luck Charm with Omikuji" for other works. For instance, the pair of "Gintama Netsuke Good Luck Charms with Omikuji" has funny quotes of Elizabeth and Justaway on the plate, while the ones from "Haru Toki 3" have a beautifully printed plate of the character. There are 12 of these from "Haru Toki" depicting 12 male characters - so take your pick and have your fortune read by your favorite character!
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei
Finally, we have "Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei"
In Japan, words that connect or refer to "failing", "losing", "despair" and other negative things are taboo for the Jyukensei. "Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei" is filled with loads of them so it should be a taboo... but no, actually, because most of the stories has no "ochi (punch line)", this work is considered as "good luck" in a way.
In the world of manzai and stories, "ochi" means "punch line" or "twist" that comes at the end. In ordinary Japanese, "ochiru" means to "fall", but because there are no "ochi" in this work, it is referred as "ochi nai", which means "it does not fall"... hence you will "pass the exam without falling".
Japanese love playing with words and it's real hard trying to explaining that in English, and I'm sorry if I complicated you... but anyways, because the work has no "ochi", this "Zetsubou-Sensei" carries a positive meaning.
And from this lovely work, we have a good luck charm to "pass" the exams. The front side has the usual Zetsubou-sensei doing the "zetsubou shita!!" gesture but the other side has the honorable family crest of Itoshiki family along with the writing "Zetsubou taisan, Goukaku kigan (drive away the despair and pray to pass)" in embroidery work. Inside the amulet, there is a paper with the face of Zetsubou-sensei that appears in the "ekaki uta (drawing song)", along with a faint print of "Zetsubou taisan" in the background. If you write your wish and carry this with respect, you may be lucky to pass your exams and to get into your targeted schools...
For those who are in the middle of stress over exams, you might want to get relaxed and loosed up a bit by refreshing yourself by smelling the soft aroma of "Gavriel Momoiro" or take a nice, long hot bath and "detoxify" all the negative feelings away from your body. After that, you can have a little happiness by using a cute, fluffy pen when doing your revisions, and listen to your favorite music...
Getting too absorbed into study to prepare for the exams will only stress you out. Relax a bit. Have a bit of fun and laughter. Having a bit of space to your feelings will lead to good result.
And we hope, for anyone taking exams - we hope, you will have good results...
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- Staff Selection! (February 25, 2010)
- Time-limited 50% discounts on CDs & DVDs!! (February 4, 2010)
- THANK YOU ALL for waiting! We are BACK special offers!! (December 2, 2009)
- Limited Time Offer! Figure Discounts Special part2 (November 2, 2009)
- Wishing luck for all the students in the world Special (October 19, 2009)
- Limited Time Offer! Figure Discounts Special (October 2, 2009)
- Autumn Season Special (September 15, 2009)
- Great Names of History Special (September 8, 2009)
- Calendar & Schedule Book Special(September 1, 2009)
- Back to School Special (August 25, 2009)
- Female Figures in Swimsuit Special (August 18, 2009)
- Summer Items Special (August 4, 2009)