I had a senior in my university club whom I’d come to like very much. But I was shy, and I had no idea how to make him notice me.
A friend told me about Ikuta Shrine in Kobe, famous for matchmaking. I visited, listened to the sermon, and bought a “Happiness Charm” (Shiawase Omamori). Before the small Jizo statue I prayed, “If he is the right person for me, please let our paths cross.”
The shrine staff said to keep the charm close at all times, so I tucked it into my wallet.
A short while later, the two of us were assigned together as event organizers for our club’s summer retreat. That gave us the chance to actually talk. We discovered we had many things in common, started dating, and eventually got married. The charm — and that small prayer at Ikuta — changed my life.