Entering a Jinja

A jinja is a sacred space. This does not apply only to the buildings, but to the whole of the precincts. Once you have passed through the torii, you are in a sacred area. Please behave as appropriate for such a location even when you are outside, in woodlands or on lawns.
Further, a jinja exists for people to venerate the kami. Please be considerate of people who are there to pay their respects. In particular, if you stand around in front of the prayer hall or sit on the steps, you are likely to disrupt other people’s prayers.
People normally pay their respects to the kami from outside, and only enter the buildings for particular purposes. This means that you should not enter any buildings without an invitation, even if they appear open. The same applies to areas enclosed by fences or ropes.
Items such as omamori amulets, which you can receive at jinja in return for a donation, are not simple souvenirs. They are embodiments of the power of the kami, and so they should also be treated as sacred items. It is appropriate to keep them yourself, or give them to family or friends.

The entrance to a jinja is marked by a torii. The torii marks the border between the sacred space of the jinja and the everyday world outside, and so many people pause and bow their heads slightly before walking through.

As purity is very important in Shinto, most jinja have a font of water that you should use to cleanse yourself before paying your respects. First, hold the ladle in your right hand, and rinse your left hand. Then, hold it in your left hand, and rinse your right hand.

Next, pour a little water into the palm of your left hand, and use that to rinse your mouth. Do not touch the ladle to your mouth, and spit the water out at the base of the font, not into it. Finally, rinse your left hand once more. When you have finished, put the ladle back where you found it.

1. Take the ladle in your right hand and scoop up some water.

2. Rinse your left hand, then pass the ladle to your left hand and rinse your right hand.

3. Pass the ladle back to your right hand. Pour some water into your left hand, and rinse your mouth.

4. Rinse your left hand, which touched your mouth, again.

When visiting a jinja, you should first pay your respects to the kami, before looking around.

The path from the torii leads to the place where you should do so, normally in front of a building. At a small jinja, this may be the main sanctuary, but at larger jinja it is the prayer hall, or “haiden”. If there is a prayer hall, the main sanctuary is normally behind it. You should not enter the prayer hall without permission, and most people pay their respects from outside.

There are often an offering box and bell rope at the front. The sound of the bell is said to purify you, and offering a small amount shows respect for the kami.

1. Stand up straight, facing the prayer hall or sanctuary.
2. Put some coins in the offering box, if you wish, and shake the rope to ring the bell if there is one.
3. Bow deeply, twice.
4. Stand up straight again, and put your hands together in front of your chest.
5. Clap twice to show respect.
6. Say a quiet prayer if you wish.
7. Bow deeply once.