Temples and shrines in Kyoto: a short guide to etiquette

Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital for more than a thousand years, and it shows: the city has well over a thousand temples and shrines. For a visitor, the first useful thing to know is the difference between the two.

Temple or shrine?

• Temples (tera, names often ending in -ji) are Buddhist. You will see incense burners, statues of the Buddha and halls with wooden floors.
• Shrines (jinja) belong to Shinto. The easy sign is the torii gate at the entrance.

At a shrine

Bow lightly before passing under the torii, and try to walk along the side of the path; the centre is traditionally kept for the deity. At the water basin, rinse your left hand, then your right, then pour a little water into your cupped hand to rinse your mouth, without touching the ladle to your lips. At the main hall, the common form of prayer is two bows, two claps, one bow.

At a temple

Do not clap. A quiet bow, hands together, is enough. If there is an incense burner, people often waft the smoke towards themselves. Many halls ask you to take off your shoes, so socks without holes are a good idea.

Everywhere

• Follow the signs about photography, especially inside halls.
• Keep your voice down; these are places of worship first.
• Gardens such as the rock garden at Ryōan-ji are meant for sitting and looking, not for a quick photo and leaving.
• Go early. Famous places like Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, are busiest from late morning.

None of this needs to be perfect. People notice care more than precision, and a little attention goes a long way.

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Photos: chiemseherin, zitarzheng, pexels on Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License. These are not my photographs.