Japan is a land of shrines and temples. They're everywhere you look. The corner of an intersection has a small shrine to Jizo for watching over babies who died in the womb. Hidden in the trees is a gate leading to a stone flight of stairs for a mountain shrine. Laws have actually been put into place to limit the number of shrines because in the past an area of 10 square kilometers had over 100 distinct, separate shrines. Japanese temples are known throughout the world; Kiyomizudera, the Clear Water Temple, was in the running to be one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It's difficult if not impossible to be in Japan without going to shrines or temples. Most festivals happen at or are strongly connected to specific shrines or temples. They're beautiful buildings, architecturally, and they're also an amazing example of ancient Japan. Going to shrines involves following certain rules, and you really don't want to mess any of the rules up because whatever you're entering is sacred.
When entering a shrine do not enter from the center of the gate. That is reserved for the gods. Enter from either side. I didn't know this and have probably offended so many gods. Whoops. I've also been told that you're supposed to bow before you enter the main gate, but I don't recall ever seeing a Japanese person doing this, so I'll keep an eye on it. Bowing too much doesn't hurt, anyway, so from now on I'll be making a habit of this.
The first shrine I encountered was a small shrine near Go-Sho in Kyoto. I was studying abroad at the time, and my Japanese was not so good. Now, when you first enter a shrine/temple there will be a place for washing your hands. Usually you aren't supposed to drink this water. Apparently at this shrine you're not only allowed to but encouraged to because the water is famous for being delicious and pure. Some very nice elderly people were trying to tell us about the amazing water and how drinking it was ok. None of us could believe it, though, and we convinced ourselves that we'd misunderstood their Japanese. The reason you wash your hands is to cleanse yourself of impurity. This is also why you shouldn't go to a shrine when you are ill or in mourning, which are both states of impurity.
After you've washed your hands it's time to proceed to the main part of the shrine/temple. There's a place to pray. First, throw a coin into the offering box, but don't worry because the amount doesn't matter. If there is a bell or gong ring it once to get the attention of the gods. Bow twice, think of your wish or prayer, clap twice loudly, and bow one last time. This is almost universal, but occasionally you'll find different variations. For example, at Izumo Taisha, the oldest shrine in Japan and the original home of the gods, you should clap four times instead of twice.
You can also buy charms at shrines/temples that offer protection for various things, such as health care, family safety, traffic safety, business success, educational success, success in love, and more. You shouldn't ever open the charms. Not only will they not work anymore, but it's very disrespectful to the god associated with that particular charm.
I've made mistakes at almost every step, although I haven't opened a charm at least, and I've never been yelled at or kicked out of a shrine. People are usually very forgiving to foreigners. They know that we aren't Japanese and might not know the proper forms. As long as you are respectful everything should be fine. Personally, I don't usually pray at the shrines or temples I visit. Japanese people I've talked to have said that it doesn't matter what religion you are; the gods won't be offended. I feel uncomfortable because I'm going through the motions without really believing. I feel like I'm disrespecting the gods by asking them for things when I don't really worship or believe in them even though the Japanese say the gods don't care. I wonder what a good balance is?
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