Special omikuji fortune slips that reveal a person's fortune and a image of the Buddha when exposed to sunlight are now available at Ninnaji temple in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto.
The image and the specific fortune -- such as daikichi (great luck) or kichi (good luck) -- appear on the slips when its special ink reacts to ultraviolet rays to produce colors.
"It's just like the mind of Buddha, which is usually invisible. We hope everyone will feel the heart of Buddha in the image that gradually emerges," an official of the World Heritage site said.
The 500 yen omikuji comes in a light-shielding bag, and gradually produces the fortune and the image of a statue of Amida Nyorai when exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light. Both disappear when the light is blocked.
"It's like a magic trick. I feel even more grateful for it," said a 38-year-old female company employee from Osaka who bought an omikuji.
The special slips were jointly created by So-ken Co. in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture, which deals with special inks, and SunM Color Co., a Kyoto City-based printing company specializing in reproducing old documents.
Ninnaji is receiving less than half the visitors of a typical year, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Shoyu Yoshida, the head of the temple's administrative office, said: "We hope these unique omikuji will encourage people to visit us and feel a little more positive despite the current depressing state of affairs."
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