Japan's temples and shrines are active religious sites visited by millions of Japanese people for genuine spiritual purposes, not just tourist attractions. Understanding the basic etiquette is both respectful and practically useful — it ensures you experience these places in the way they were designed to be experienced.
Shinto Shrine Ritual: Temizuya (Hand Washing)
Before approaching the main shrine hall, purify yourself at the temizuya — a stone basin of water near the entrance. The procedure:
1. Pick up the ladle with your right hand.
2. Pour water over your left hand.
3. Transfer the ladle to your left hand; pour water over your right hand.
4. Transfer back to your right hand; cup your left hand, fill it with water, rinse your mouth (spit to the side, not back into the basin).
5. Pour remaining water down the handle to cleanse the ladle before returning it.
Note: During COVID-19, some shrines closed their temizuya basins. The practice is resuming at most sites.
At the Shrine Hall: The Nirei Nihakushu Ichirei
At the main hall (haiden), approach, toss a coin in the offering box (amount is not important — ¥5 coins are considered particularly lucky as the word for 5 yen sounds like "good connection"), then:
1. Bow twice deeply (approximately 45–90 degrees).
2. Clap twice — bring palms together sharply.
3. Hold your hands together briefly and make your wish or prayer silently.
4. Bow once more to complete.
Buddhist Temple Protocol
Buddhist temples have a different (less formalized) visitor protocol. Common practices:
Incense burning: Light incense from a shared flame at the incense burner (jokoro) in front of the main hall. Wave smoke toward yourself — it purifies. Do not blow out the flame; shake or fan it instead.
Main hall: Remove shoes if entering the interior (a raised step at the entrance and displayed slippers indicate this). Bow before the central altar figure. Photography inside is often prohibited — look for signs.
Omikuji (fortune strips): Available at both temples and shrines. Draw a strip, read your fortune. If it's bad, tie it to the designated wire or post to leave the bad luck at the temple.
Photography Rules
Exterior grounds: almost always fine to photograph.
Interior buildings: often prohibited — signs are usually clear. When in doubt, observe what others are doing.
Religious ceremonies: do not photograph actively ongoing ceremonies without explicit permission.
Sacred objects: never photograph items marked with prohibition signs. Flash photography is almost always prohibited indoors.
What Not to Do
Don't eat or drink while walking through temple or shrine grounds (water is fine). Don't smoke (designated areas are usually provided). Don't climb on stone lanterns, guardian statues, or other structures for photographs. Don't touch sacred objects or areas marked with shimenawa rope. Don't enter areas marked "entrance prohibited" (even if the photo opportunity seems tempting). Don't speak loudly or on the phone inside sacred buildings.
Dress Code
Modesty is expected — particularly if entering interior buildings at formal temples. Shorts and sleeveless tops are technically disrespectful at conservative temples, though enforcement is rare at tourist-facing sites. Major Zen temples (Eiheiji, some Daitoku-ji sub-temples) may request more formal dress. Cover up if uncertain.