Having problems with your love life? What do you do? Try to get out and meet people? Of course not. You go to the street fortune teller. Maybe your job or finances are in bad shape. Do you make an appointment with a financial consultant? Never! The fortune teller will know what to do. Think your husband is being unfaithful? There's only one way to know for sure, ask the fortune teller. Such is the case with about half the population of Japan. I say half because 99% of the time the customers of these know-it-all's are women. The only time I've seen a male customer is when his girlfriend drags him along with her to find out if they're compatible.

Fortune tellers themselves seem to be an equal ratio of men and women though. Whether it be palm reading, tarot cards, coins, sticks or some other shady method, these guys will tell you how long it will take that guy you met in that bar last week to pop the question. Other times they'll tell you how many times a day you should call that guy who dumped you last week. I don't know how they do it, but some of these guys are so popular they've got lineups of women waiting to give away their money. The going rate for divination seems to be about $10 for around 10 minutes. You'll pay more if the fortune teller is popular. If I spoke Japanese better, I'd get my own crystal ball or something, a little table and get paid to tell girls what they want to hear. What a deal!

|

Abandoned Ginza
Tokyo International Forum
The Largest City in the World
Maman under Roppongi Hills
Rainbow Bridge at Night
Gundam Cafe
Barbershop Heads
Tokyo Realtime Akihabara
Usavitch
Ukishima Factory Walk
Library or Bookstore?
Luxurious Lavatory
Hie Shrine Akasaka - 100 Torii
Last Gasp of Sakura
Kawasaki at Night
Concrete and Trash
In Japan, Cute Rules
Takeshita Street - Harajuku
Hanami 2010
Tokyo's Nonhuman Denizens 2
All Entries