UMA KUJI
An interactive horse-themed omikuji project combining risograph print, folklore, and playful character design.
An interactive horse-themed omikuji zine, created for DePaul Zine Fest 2026.
This project is a risograph-printed, handmade horse-themed omikuji zine that I created and distributed at DePaul Zine Fest in January 2026 (under my husband’s name).
2026 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. In Japan, it’s customary to visit a shrine during the New Year to express gratitude for the past year and pray for health and happiness in the year ahead. One of the essential parts of that visit is drawing an omikuji—a paper fortune that predicts your luck for the year. It includes hints about good things that may happen and things to be mindful of. After reading it carefully, people traditionally tie the paper to a designated spot at the shrine before stepping into the new year.
Since the event took place in January, I thought it would be fun to recreate that experience and create an interactive moment with visitors. So I decided to hand out horse-themed omikuji to anyone who stopped by our booth.
The process began with sketching horses. I realized I didn’t actually know much about horses, so I did research to include fun and factual horse trivia in the fortunes. In addition to horses, I expanded the project to include donkey- and zebra-like animals, as well as mythical creatures such as unicorns and pegasi. In total, I created eight different fortune variations. Around the same time, I was also working on a Fire Horse illustration for Amsterdam-based risograph studio Riso Pop, so I incorporated that character into this project as well.
Next came the prototype. Inspired by a method I found on Instagram, I created a hexagonal omikuji box using the packaging of the classic Japanese snack “Koala’s March.”
I tested different designs to ensure the fortunes would dispense one at a time. The rolled-up fortunes were held together using thick boba tea straws—an unexpectedly cute detail that I personally love!
It felt like a shame to stop at just the individual fortunes, so I also created a companion zine featuring all eight omikuji designs. Since I was happy with my Fire Horse illustration, I included a duotone poster version of it on the back. It was printed in black and bubblegum pink using risograph. This time, I intentionally limited the ink colors because I wanted to experiment with yellow and soft pink paper and create something that felt different from my usual work.
UMA KUJI was a big hit at DePaul Zine Fest! I plan to bring the omikuji to various zine events throughout the year. In Chicago, it’s currently available at Lot’sa—so if you’re curious, be sure to check it out!