Omamori (お守り) are Japanese amulets/charms/talismans sold at religious sites and dedicated to particular Shinto deities as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck or protection.

Originally made from paper or wood, modern amulets are items usually kept inside a brocade bag and may contain a prayer or religious inscription of invocation.

Omamori are then made sacred through the use of ritual and are said to contain busshin (spiritual evolutions) in a Shinto context or kesshin (manifestations) in a Buddhist context.

Omamori should never be opened in order to avoid losing their protective benefits, and should belong only to one person. Often they are tied to a backpack, purse, car mirror, etc.

Throwing an amulet in the trash is highly discouraged. Old omamori should not be placed in the trash with other commonly discarded rubbish, but rather treated with respect.

Nigatsu-dō (二月堂, "The Hall of the Second Month") is one of the important structures of Tōdai-ji, a temple in Nara. Nigatsu-dō is located to the east of the Great Buddha Hall, on the hillside of Mount Wakakusa. It includes several other buildings in addition to the specific hall named Nigatsu-dō, thus comprising its own sub-complex within Tōdai-ji.

Nigatsu-dō was founded by a monk by the name of Sanetada in 752, but the Buddhist monk Jitchu, a pupil of Rōben, later introduced a repentance service dedicated to the image of the eleven-faced Bodhisattva, Kannon in 760. It has taken place as an annual rite since 760 without any break. The service has come to be known as Shuni-e, as it was held in the second month of the traditional lunisolar calendar. At present, it starts on 1 March and ends on the 15th of the month. Omizutori, which means taking sacred water, has become the popular name of the ceremony.

While the first Shuni-e service is said to have been held by Jichu in another temple in 752, the original construction of Nigatsu-dō hall is estimated to have completed only somewhere between 756 and 772. Nigatsu-dō was destroyed in 1667 due to a fire.

After fire destroyed the main temple structure, work on rebuilding Nigatsu-dō at Nara commenced.

Re-construction of Nigatsu-do is completed in 1669. In 1944, it was chosen by Japan as one of the most important cultural aspects of the country.