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The other day while visiting a shrine in the Kagurazaka area of Tokyo I ran across the adorable sign below that illustrates the correct way to pay your respects, or say a prayer, at a shrine.
The sign gives you a pretty good idea of the process visually but here are the steps in English.
- In front of the main building of the shrine approach the offering box and bow to the altar twice
- Then, clap your hands together twice.
- Lastly, bow once again before you turn to leave.
Between steps one and two feel free to say a little prayer. Even if you are not very religious I believe that it is important to be respectful and to keep in mind that a shrine is not just a sightseeing destination but a place of worship for many local people. I am very mindful of this and have been known to drop a yen or two in the offering box to show my appreciation for being allowed to enjoy the beauty of the shrines in Tokyo and throughout Japan.
Photo Credit: Personal Collection