Shrine etiquette card in Japanese and English
Seven steps, in order, from the torii gate to the shrine office. The Japanese is what the posted sign says, the English tells you what you are doing, and the one difference that catches everyone out — no clapping at a temple — is printed on the same line as the shrine version.
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The seven steps
Bow once before the torii gate. Walk to one side of the path, because the centre belongs to the deity. At the temizuya rinse left hand, right hand, mouth, then left hand again. Drop your offering in quietly. Two bows, two claps, one bow. No photographs where a sign forbids them. Charms and goshuin stamps come from the shrine office.
The temizu, in the right order
One ladleful does the whole sequence: left hand, right hand, then pour into your cupped left hand to rinse your mouth — never drink from the ladle itself — then rinse the left hand once more and stand the ladle upright so the last of the water runs down the handle. Since 2020 many shrines have removed the ladles and run the water into a basin or a bamboo spout instead, in which case you simply rinse your hands.
Shrine or temple, and how to tell
A torii gate means a Shinto shrine: two bows, two claps, one bow. A temple gate with guardian statues and an incense burner means Buddhism, and there you press your hands together silently — no clapping. Getting this the wrong way round is the most common mistake foreign visitors make, so it is printed as one line rather than two.
The offering and the five-yen coin
Five yen is 五円, which sounds exactly like ご縁 — a good connection or a good relationship — which is why it is the traditional coin to offer. Drop it in rather than throwing it, and there is no expectation of any particular amount. At a busy shrine at New Year the offering box is very large and the queue moves slowly; on a normal weekday you will often have the place to yourself.
Printing and privacy
Seven steps at business-card size, ten to an A4 sheet with cut lines, printed at 100 percent scaling. The 1080 pixel PNG is the practical version when you are standing in front of the temizuya trying to remember which hand comes first. Nothing is uploaded: the card is assembled by JavaScript inside your own browser tab, with no server and no account involved.
Frequently asked questions
How many times do I bow and clap at a shrine?
Two bows, two claps, one bow — 二礼二拍手一礼. Bow deeply twice, clap twice at chest height, hold your hands together for your prayer, then bow deeply once more. A few shrines have their own count, Izumo Taisha being the famous one with four claps, and where that is the case there is a sign saying so.
Do I clap at a temple too?
No. At a Buddhist temple you press your palms together silently and bow; clapping is Shinto. If you can see a torii gate it is a shrine, and if you can see a large incense burner you are usually at a temple. The card prints both rules on one line so the distinction is impossible to miss.
What do I do at the temizuya?
Take one ladleful, rinse the left hand, then the right, then pour into your left hand and rinse your mouth from the hand rather than the ladle. Rinse the left hand once more, then stand the ladle upright to rinse the handle. Where the ladles have been removed, rinsing your hands under the running water is enough.
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Nothing is uploaded: the card is assembled by JavaScript inside your own browser tab, with no server and no account involved.