Index
🧼 The cleansing ritual at shrines
When my Canadian friend Emma visited Tokyo, we stopped by a peaceful shrine surrounded by tall trees and bright red gates.
As we approached the entrance, she pointed at a stone basin with bamboo ladles and asked:
Is this for drinking?
I smiled and explained that it’s called a tyouzuya, a purification station.
It’s used to cleanse your hands and mouth before offering a prayer.
I demonstrated:
- Rinse your left hand
- Then your right
- Pour water into your left palm to rinse your mouth
- Finally, rinse the handle of the ladle
I love how respectful this feels. Like preparing yourself mentally.
Tyouzuya
🛐 The meaning behind bowing and clapping
When we reached the main shrine, Emma noticed people bowing and clapping.
Why do they do that?
The general manner of worship at shrines
At first, make a money offering “Japanese people often put a 5 yen coin in the money offering to Goenn’御縁- good connection’. Of course, it is also good luck to put in a lot of money.”
Second, “nirei ni hakusyu ichirei ‘two bow, two claps, one bow'”.
This means to bow twice “ni-rei”, then clap twice “ni-hakusyu”, and finally bow once “ichi-rei” again.
That felt special.
She said after trying it herself.
Like I connected with something spiritual.
Bowing and clapping
⛩️ What’s up with the red gates?
On the way out, Emma asked about the long row of vivid red gates we passed through earlier.
Those are torii.
They represent the boundary between the secular world and sacred space.
Oh, and I noticed you didn’t walk in the middle.
Exactly!
In Japanese belief, the center path is for the gods.
Visitors respectfully walk on the sides.
Good thing I copied you.
Torii
📝 Conclusion
Emma later told me she learned more about Japan’s spiritual customs in one afternoon than in all her guidebooks.
It wasn’t just sightseeing — it was an experience.
P.S.
Did you know this custom of the shrine? You may have visited the shrine several times and still not know about it. No, rather, there are Japanese who do not know this.
Because they are so close to home, many Japanese people do not look into it and worship in accordance with old customs.
I apologize for the delay in posting this time. I was in the Philippines for a few days. If you don’t mind, I would like to write an article on international travel from a Japanese point of view, that is, travel to the Philippines. Please understand that this will be an extra article.
またね(Matane)!
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