Need to fairly decide who does which chore, who gets which prize, or what order people present in? Amida Kuji — Japan's ladder lottery — has been the go-to solution for centuries. And now you can run one in your browser.

This guide explains how Amida Kuji works, why it produces fair results, and how to use it for common group decisions.

What is Amida Kuji?

Amida Kuji (阿弥陀くじ) is a drawing method where vertical lines and randomly placed horizontal rungs determine each participant's outcome. The name comes from the radiating lines of a Buddhist mandala, which early versions resembled.

The modern format uses parallel vertical lines — one per participant — with names at the top and outcomes at the bottom. Horizontal rungs connect adjacent vertical lines at various points. Following the lines from top to bottom, always taking every rung you encounter, determines who gets what.

How Amida Kuji Works

The rules are simple:

  1. Start at the top of your vertical line
  2. Move downward along the line
  3. Whenever you hit a horizontal rung, cross to the adjacent line
  4. Continue downward on the new line
  5. The result at the bottom of wherever you land is your outcome

Visual Example

Alice   Bob    Carol
  |      |      |
  |----  |      |
  |      |  ----|
  |  ----|      |
  |      |      |
 Duty   Free   Prize

Alice hits the first rung and moves right, then hits another rung and moves right again, landing on "Prize." Bob and Carol follow their own paths through the horizontal rungs, each arriving at a different outcome.

Why It's Fair

When the horizontal rungs are placed randomly and no one sees the diagram before choosing their line, no participant can predict which outcome their line leads to. More rungs mean more unpredictability, which makes the outcome harder to guess. Digital tools generate rungs algorithmically, making the distribution even more uniform than hand-drawn versions.

Common Use Cases

  • Task assignment: Decide who takes meeting notes, cleans up, or presents first
  • Prize distribution: Assign different gifts or party favors fairly to a group
  • Team sorting: Split 6 people into 2 teams of 3 by setting alternating outcomes
  • Lunch decisions: List restaurant options as outcomes — whoever lands there pays or chooses
  • Classroom activities: Random calling-on-students without the teacher being accused of favoritism

Why Digital Amida Kuji?

  • No paper, no drawing — just type names and outcomes
  • Adjustable rung density for more or less predictability
  • Animated path display so everyone can follow their route visually
  • Copy results to share with the group instantly

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amida Kuji truly fair?
Yes, when rungs are placed randomly and participants can't see the diagram before choosing. Every line has an equal chance of reaching any outcome. Digital tools with algorithm-generated rungs are actually more consistent than hand-drawn versions, where some lines might accidentally get fewer rungs.
Can someone manipulate an Amida Kuji result?
With paper and pen, a dishonest person who draws the rungs could theoretically steer outcomes. With a digital tool that generates rungs automatically after names are entered, there's no way to engineer a specific result. For high-stakes drawings, let a neutral third party — or a tool — generate the grid.
How is Amida Kuji different from a roulette wheel?
The key difference is that Amida Kuji assigns distinct outcomes to all participants simultaneously — everyone gets a different result. A roulette wheel picks one item from a list for one spin. Use Amida Kuji when you need to distribute N outcomes among N people; use roulette when you need to pick one thing at random.
What if there are more participants than outcomes?
You'll need an equal number of vertical lines and outcomes for a standard Amida Kuji. If there are 5 participants but only 3 prizes, add 2 "no prize" outcomes to fill the remaining lines. Digital tools make this easy to set up.

Summary

  • Amida Kuji uses vertical lines and horizontal rungs to route each participant to a unique outcome
  • Random rung placement makes results unpredictable and fair
  • Great for assigning tasks, distributing prizes, sorting teams, or any group decision
  • Digital tools add animations, adjustable settings, and instant sharing

Ready to run one? Try these free tools: