Futomani

Practitioners attempt to foresee future events by interpreting the pattern of cracks made by heating the shoulder-blade of a stag.

[1] The practice is thought to predate the introduction of divination by tortoiseshell, which was imported from China; archaeological evidence suggests it originated as early as the Jōmon period.

"Thick Congratulatory Address [of] Life"), a special Kami of divination.

Futomani is still practiced at the Shinto shrine on Mount Mitake as an annual event.

[4] In aikido, futomani is considered an important adjunct to kotodama practice.