Although the Japanese generally have both feet firmly on the ground, there are times when they can be extremely superstitious. They dislike the number 4 because it has the same pronounciation as “death” (shi), and older department stores and hospitals will omit the 4th floor for this reason (airline ticket counters, too). If you wanted to improve the layout and energy flow of your living room you might pick up a book on feng shui, the Chinese aesthic study of direction and placement/color of objects, but Japan’s 1400-year fascination with feng shui has determined the location and orientation of its national capitals of Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) to ensure maximum good fortune for the nation. One expected source of good luck in Japan is…poop, due to the similarity of the word for the bodily function (unko) to the word for “good luck” (unki). That’s why when a seagull happened to release an unpleasant package squarely on my daughter’s head one day, my wife exclaimed, “That’s great, Rina! I always knew you were lucky!” The most famous poop in Japan is the Asahi Super Dry Building near Asakusa. While the company insists the “golden flame” represents the frothy head on a glass of Asahi beer, everyone knows it’s a talisman to bring good luck and money to the company. It’s common for people to improve their personal luck by carrying a good luck charm in the shape of a poop, and we’ve got a golden poop phone strap on the site for you today, to help you get more money in 2011!
The most famous poop in Japan, the Asahi Beer Headquarters in Asakusa.
