Japan Shrine Etiquette Guide

Standing at a torii gate, unsure what to do? This is a short, clear guide to visiting shrines and temples in Japan — written for travellers, not for scholars. Each rule tells you what to do and what to avoid, in one screen. WHAT IS INSIDE Shrine Etiquette How to pass through a torii gate, how to wash at the temizuya, and the bow-bow-clap-bow at the hall. What to do with an offering, and what not to photograph. Temple Etiquette How temples differ from shrines: incense, gassho, and why you do not clap. Rules for the main hall, and for the grounds. Translate Signs Point your camera at an omikuji, a goshuin, or a wooden sign, and read it in your own language. The characters on a fortune slip are exactly the ones nobody can look up. Spirituality A short introduction to Shinto, Zen, and Japanese mindfulness — enough to understand what you are looking at. FOUR LANGUAGES English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese. Switch at any time from the top of the screen. MADE FOR ONE HAND Large type, one rule per card, no account, no sign-up, no advertising. RESPECT FIRST Nothing here asks you to perform a religion. These are the manners that let you visit without causing offence — the same things a Japanese friend would quietly tell you on the way in.