Daikichi (Great Fortune)
Daikichi (大吉, great fortune) is the highest-ranking fortune label in traditional omikuji. The accompanying text typically says things like “your wishes will come true” or “the wind is at your back,” making it the kind of result that prompts a quiet fist-pump the moment you unfold the paper.
Where daikichi sits in the ranking
The exact order of fortune labels varies between shrines and temples, but the most common arrangement looks like this:
| Rank | Label |
|---|---|
| 1 | Daikichi (大吉) |
| 2 | Chukichi (中吉) |
| 3 | Shokichi (小吉) |
| 4 | Kichi (吉) |
| 5 | Suekichi (末吉) |
| 6 | Kyou (凶) |
| 7 | Daikyou (大凶) |
The fact that kichi (吉) ranks below shokichi (小吉) surprises many people. This is a traditional ordering where kichi sits between shokichi and suekichi. For more details, see Ranking of Kichi Labels.
What to do when you draw daikichi
Drawing daikichi does not mean you need to accomplish something grand that day. In fact, the best approach is:
- Keep your usual pace without forcing anything
- When things are going well, be a little kinder to others
- Remember “I drew something nice” and forget about it by tomorrow
The mindset of “I must act now or waste my daikichi” only turns a good fortune into exhaustion.
A word of caution after daikichi
Daikichi is sometimes treated like a mountain peak, with commentary warning that “from here on, the only way is down, so be humble.” That is one valid interpretation, but omikuji are fundamentally a device for receiving “how you feel right now,” not a serious tool for predicting the future. There is no need to overthink it.
On Yuru Omikuji, alongside daikichi we offer labels like ka-kichi (a fortune so good it loops back around) and gyaku-kichi (a fortune that flips into something kyou-like), serving as playful variations on the daikichi theme.