Ranking of Kichi Labels

Omikuji fortune labels come in multiple tiers: daikichi, chukichi, shokichi, kichi, suekichi, kyou, and more. However, the exact ranking varies from shrine to shrine, which means that after drawing your slip you may find yourself wondering, “Wait, how good is this one, exactly?”

The seven-tier ranking

The following is a simple ranking that serves as a starting point for reading the labels.

What puzzles newcomers here is that kichi (吉) ranks below shokichi (小吉). Note, however, that the position of kichi varies by shrine, and some rankings place it right after daikichi.

An extended twelve-tier system

Some shrines use a much finer gradation. A documented example is Kugenuma Fushimi Inari Shrine in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, which once described the following twelve tiers in the “Shinto Q&A” section of its official website:

Notice how finely graded this system is: hankichi and sue-shokichi fill out the fortune side, while sho-kyou, han-kyou, and sue-kyou fill out the misfortune side. The system is complex enough that checking the shrine’s own documentation is the surest way to know.

Kyou at Sensoji Temple

The omikuji at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo have a reputation for containing a lot of kyou. The temple’s own official FAQ explains that this is simply the omikuji of old, kept as it was. Rather than “the temple where you get bad luck,” it is closer to the truth to call it “the temple that keeps the old distribution intact.”

So which ranking should you trust?

The only correct answer is the rules of the specific shrine where you drew your fortune. Comparing rankings across different shrines is not particularly meaningful. The most practical way to use omikuji is to read the body text carefully and take home one or two small pieces of advice that resonate with you.

Rankings on Yuru Omikuji

On this site, instead of a traditional ranking, we use our own set of original labels. Rather than competing over which rank is higher, the idea is to enjoy the personality of each label itself.

The phrases written on your slip are explained in the Omikuji Reader.