Home › Guide
How to visit a Shinto shrine
Shrines in Japan are open to everyone, whatever your religion. Nobody expects visitors to get every detail right, but knowing the basic steps makes a visit more meaningful and shows respect to the people who worship there. Here is what to do, in the order you will meet it.
1. The torii gate and the approach
A shrine begins at its torii, the gate that marks the boundary between the everyday world and sacred ground. Many people give a small bow before passing through, and again when leaving.
The path to the main hall is the sandō (approach). The center of the path is traditionally thought of as the way for the kami, so people tend to walk slightly to one side. Keep your voice down, don't eat while walking, and keep the path clear for others.
2. Purify at the temizuya
Near the entrance is a water basin with ladles, the temizuya (or chōzuya). Purifying here before you pray is one of the most recognizable customs at a shrine:
- Take a ladle in your right hand, scoop water, and pour a little over your left hand.
- Switch hands and pour a little over your right hand.
- Switch back, pour a little water into your cupped left hand and rinse your mouth with it. Never put the ladle to your lips.
- Rinse your left hand again.
- Tilt the ladle upright so the remaining water runs down the handle, then put it back.
Spit the water out quietly beside the basin, not back into it. Some shrines now use flowing water without ladles, or have closed the basin; in that case simply rinse your hands under the flow or skip this step.
3. Pray at the main hall
In front of the worship hall there is an offering box (saisen-bako) and often a bell with a thick rope. The most common form of prayer is two bows, two claps, one bow (nirei nihakushu ichirei):
- Stand in front of the offering box and give a light bow.
- Gently drop a coin into the box. Any amount is fine; there is no correct price for a prayer. Five-yen coins are a popular choice because go-en sounds like the word for a good connection.
- If there is a bell, shake the rope to ring it.
- Bow deeply twice.
- Clap twice, hands at chest height.
- With your hands together, silently say thank you and make your wish. Many people introduce themselves first, giving their name and where they are from.
- Bow deeply once more, then step aside so the next person can come forward.
Some shrines have their own form. At Izumo Taisha and Usa Jingu, for example, people clap four times instead of two. If a shrine posts its own instructions, follow them.
4. Omikuji: fortune slips
Omikuji are paper fortunes you draw for a small offering. They range from great blessing (dai-kichi) to curse (kyō), with advice on things such as travel, love, study and business. Many shrines now offer English versions.
If you get a bad fortune, it is customary to tie it to the rack or rope provided, leaving the bad luck at the shrine. A good fortune you can keep, or tie as well. Please only tie fortunes where the shrine provides a place for them, not on trees or fences.
5. Ema: wooden wish plaques
Ema are small wooden plaques on which you write a wish and hang it at the shrine. Their designs often reflect the shrine: foxes at Inari shrines, oxen and plum blossoms at Tenjin shrines. You may write in any language. Feel free to read other people's ema, but avoid photographing them closely, since they often include names.
6. Omamori: protective charms
Omamori are small charms, usually a brocade pouch, sold at the shrine's counter. Each has a purpose: safe travel, study, health, love, business, safe childbirth and more. They make lovely souvenirs, and you don't need to be Shinto to carry one.
- Don't open the pouch: the inside is the sacred part.
- Keep it with you, in a bag, wallet or attached to your keys.
- When an omamori has done its job, many people return it to a shrine, which ceremonially burns old charms. Many Japanese replace theirs about once a year, but there is no strict rule.
7. Goshuin: shrine seals
A goshuin is a calligraphed record of your visit, written by hand at the shrine office with the shrine's red seal. People collect them in a special book called a goshuin-chō, which many shrines also sell.
- A goshuin is a record of worship, not a tourist stamp. Visit and pray first, then ask for it.
- A fee or offering is asked for each one; the amount is usually posted at the counter.
- Some shrines write directly in your book; others hand you a pre-written sheet, especially at busy times.
- Many people keep shrine and temple goshuin in separate books. Some temples and shrines prefer it that way.
- Not every shrine offers goshuin, and some don't have staff at all hours.
8. Photography manners
- Taking photos of the grounds, gates and buildings is generally fine.
- Don't photograph the inside of the worship hall or the sanctuary, and follow any no-photography signs. At Ise, for example, photography is not allowed at the main sanctuary.
- Ceremonies, prayers and weddings are private moments for the people involved. Don't photograph them up close or without permission, and never get in the way of a procession.
- Don't block paths or stairways for photos, and don't climb on stone lanterns, statues or sacred trees.
- Drones and tripods are often restricted; check before using them.
9. Shrines and temples: what's the difference?
Japan has two main kinds of sacred place, and you will often find them side by side, like Asakusa Shrine next to Sensō-ji temple in Tokyo.
| Shrine (jinja, jingū, taisha) | Temple (tera, -ji, -in) | |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | Shinto, Japan's native faith in the kami | Buddhism, brought from the Asian mainland |
| Entrance | A torii gate | A gate building (sanmon), often with guardian figures |
| Prayer | Bow and clap (usually two bows, two claps, one bow) | Put your hands together quietly. Don't clap. |
| Typical sights | Shimenawa ropes, zigzag paper streamers, guardian lions or fox statues | Buddha statues, incense burners, pagodas |
| Clergy | Shinto priests (kannushi) and shrine maidens (miko) | Buddhist monks |
For most of Japanese history the two were closely intertwined, with shrines and temples sharing grounds and even deities. They were formally separated by government order in the Meiji era in the late 19th century, yet most Japanese people today still visit both: shrines for New Year and life's celebrations, temples for remembering ancestors.
Quick checklist
- Bow at the torii; walk to the side of the approach.
- Purify your hands and mouth at the temizuya.
- Coin, bell, two bows, two claps, a silent prayer, one bow.
- Tie bad fortunes where the shrine provides; don't open your omamori.
- Pray before asking for a goshuin.
- No photos of the sanctuary or of ceremonies up close.