If you are going to visit many shrines in Japan, you would not want to visit the shrines and temples. The way to worship the shrine is a very interesting ritual.
The Japanese believe that if prayed correctly, with body and soul, then the god will surely bless the person praying.
How to pray before passing under the Torii gate (red pillars).
The most prominent feature of a shrine is the Red Torii gate and you will find it at the entrance of every Shinto shrine in Japan. Sometimes, a shrine can have multiple Torii gates. The main purpose of a Torii gate is differentiate between the sacred space inside from the mundane world outside.
Before passing under the Torii gate, bow slightly before passing through it as a sign of respect.
Once you pass through the Torii gate, make sure to walk on either sides of the corridor leading up to the shrine as the center space is reserved for the deities.
The center line of the path is always reserved for gods and deities and the people who come to pray should always use either sides of the pavement.
The water basin located here is to purify mind and body before paying homage to the God.
Before offering prayers to God, you need to cleanse your hands and moth as a symbolic representation.
- Hold the ladle with right hand, fill it with water and wash the left hand.
- Hold the ladle with left hand, fill it with water and wash the right hand.
- Hold the ladle with right hand, fill it with water and rinse your mouth with your left hand.
- Hold the ladle with right hand, fill it with water and wash the left hand.
- Fill the ladle with water again and hold it perpendicular to wash the ladle.
※ Always use the ladle to fill/pour out water
Okay, now it's time to pay homage at the shrine.
The hall of worship where we try to respect each other.
First, bow once and ring the bell to get the God's attention.
Pray. Toss a coin in the wooden box in front of you. A 5 yen coin is considered lucky while praying at shrines. 5 yen is called "Go-En" in Japanese. "Go" is an honorific prefix and "En" means connection, therefore the word translates to a divine connection.
Then, bow twice and clap twice to finish the praying ritual.
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- Clap : Bring the two hands to the shoulder level and clap twice, hold still for a brief second to receive blessings from God and then proceed to put it down.
- The first bow
After you are done praying, make sure to bow once before the Torii gate before leaving the shrine.
The above steps is a general guideline for praying at a Shinto shrine.
Its helpful to know the basics of praying at a Shinto shrine, however please note that these steps may vary from shrine to shrine (not greatly though).
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