

This kanji depicts weapons stored safely in a sacred box, symbolizing peace and a solemn promise after war. Because of this, it came to mean “good luck” or “auspicious.” You will often see this kanji on omikuji (fortune slips) at Japanese shrines.


This kanji consists of two parts. On the left is the “thread” radical, and on the right is a component representing weapons safely stored in a sacred box—symbolizing peace and a solemn promise after war. Together, this kanji depicts binding thread tightly to seal a sacred vow, which is why it came to mean “to tie,” “to bind,” or “to unite.”