The Real Japan: Shrines and temples

© JNTO

Of all the things I want to do during my trip, visiting a Shinto shrine, a jinja (神社/じんじゃ), is top of the list. Asian religions fascinate me, thanks to my studies at university and Shinto especially. As I started familiarising myself with a map of Kyoto I noticed two symbols:  and . The first (a swastika) denotes a Buddhist temple (tera) and the second (a torii) signifies a Shinto temple and Kyoto in particular is covered in them.

To be fair, that’s only to be expected from the ancient capital of the country. Kyoto seems to be the Japanese equivalent of Norwich and it’s 356 churches, except a lot more interesting. There are a number of shrines and temples on my ‘must visit’ list but Shinto itself has captured my attention more than Buddhism ever could. I just like the balance between the two faiths, the perfect symmetry of the way each have an appropriate role in Japanese life. Shinto, for example is all about life while Buddhism offers insight and rituals for death and the afterlife.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things I discovered is the concept of goshuin-cho (御朱印帖), notebooks in which a priest will stamp the seal of a temple or shrine and write its name in calligraphy and the date of your visit on top, this is called goshuin (御朱印). The books are sold as souvenirs with the first page done for free, others cost something like 300円.

The best thing is that every shrine has different kinds of goshuincho, with different covers. I’m determined to buy the most beautiful one I find and get it stamped at every single shrine I visit. They appear to be the most unique and personal kind of souvenir, they’ve even inspired blogs, which can summon up memories of even the most mundane of visits, becoming a sacred work of art. Indeed, this video makes me want to get on a plane right now: