You’ve bought your goshuincho. You’ve arrived at a beautiful shrine. You know goshuin exist and you want one. But now you’re standing at the edge of the path, watching other visitors walk confidently up to a small window, and you have absolutely no idea what to do.
This guide is for you.
By the end, you’ll know exactly what to bring, where to go, what to say, and how to avoid the mistakes that most first-timers make. The process is simpler than you think.
What You’ll Need
Before you arrive at the shrine, make sure you have two things:
1. A Goshuincho (御朱印帳)
A goshuincho is a special book made for collecting goshuin. It’s not optional — shrine staff will not write on regular notebooks or loose paper. You need a proper goshuincho.
Where to buy one:
- At any shrine or temple (the best option for your first one — you’ll get a souvenir with the shrine’s own design, usually ¥1,500–¥3,000)
- At stationery shops like Tokyu Hands or Loft
- Online before your trip
Which kind to get:
The most common style is the accordion-fold book (蛇腹式, jyabara-shiki) — a long piece of paper folded into pages. This is what most shrine gift shops sell. If you’re a first-timer, get this.
Get the large size (大判) if you can. It gives the calligrapher more room to work, and the goshuin will look better. Small size is fine too, but some shrines prefer writing in larger books.
Don’t have a goshuincho? Many shrines offer kakioki (書き置き) — pre-written goshuin on a loose sheet of paper. You can paste these into a goshuincho later. But getting your own book is the real experience.
2. Small Bills and Coins
The fee for a goshuin is called hatsuho-ryō (初穂料) at Shinto shrines, or nōkyō-ryō (納経料) at Buddhist temples. Most goshuin cost ¥300 to ¥500. Special art goshuin can be ¥500 to ¥1,000 or more.
Always bring exact change or close to it. Shrine staff are not cashiers — they don’t always have change available, and asking for change is considered awkward. ¥300 and ¥500 coins are your best friends.
Step-by-Step: How to Receive Goshuin
Step 1 — Enter Through the Torii Gate
When you arrive at the shrine, pause at the torii gate (鳥居) — the large red or stone archway marking the entrance. Give a small bow before stepping through. This signals your respect for the sacred space.
Walk to the side of the path, not directly down the center. The center is called the seidō or seinaka — considered the path of the god — and traditionally visitors step aside to leave it clear.
Step 2 — Purify at the Water Basin
Look for a small pavilion with a water basin near the entrance — this is the temizuya (手水舎) or chōzuya. This is where you purify your hands before entering.
The traditional method:
- Pick up the ladle with your right hand; pour water over your left hand
- Switch the ladle to your left hand; pour water over your right hand
- Switch back to your right hand; pour water into your cupped left palm and rinse your mouth (spit the water to the side — not back into the basin)
- Rinse your left hand once more
- Hold the ladle upright and let the remaining water run down the handle, rinsing it
- Return the ladle
At many shrines today, especially since the pandemic, the water basin may have a modified setup or be closed. Just do your best with whatever is available.
Step 3 — Pray at the Main Hall
This is the most important step, and many first-time visitors skip it. Do not skip it.
Goshuin are a record of your prayer. Receiving a goshuin without praying first is considered disrespectful — like buying a receipt without making a purchase. The shrine staff may say nothing, but the whole point is the prayer.
Walk up to the main hall (本殿, honden, or 拝殿, haiden). You’ll see an offering box and usually a large rope bell to ring.
At a Shinto shrine:
- Toss a coin lightly into the offering box (any denomination is fine — ¥5 coins are considered especially lucky because go-en means both “five yen” and “good fortune/connection”)
- Ring the bell if there is one (one or two swings)
- Bow deeply twice (ninety degrees, hold for a moment)
- Clap your hands twice (bring your right hand slightly back relative to your left before clapping — this is the correct form)
- Pray silently with your hands together
- Bow deeply once more to finish
At a Buddhist temple: The process is similar, but no clapping. Simply bow, place your palms together in gassho, pray, and bow again. Clapping at a temple is a common mistake — it’s associated with Shinto, not Buddhism.
Step 4 — Find the Goshuin Counter
After praying, look around the shrine grounds for the goshuin reception area. It’s usually in one of these places:
- The shamusho (社務所) — the shrine office, often a building to the side of the main hall
- The juyo-sho (授与所) — the counter where amulets (omamori) and other items are sold
- A dedicated goshuin counter — some larger shrines have a separate window just for goshuin
How to find it: Look for a sign reading 御朱印 (goshuin). At larger shrines, staff may be wearing traditional white and red clothing. At smaller shrines, a single person may be handling everything.
If you can’t find it, it’s perfectly fine to ask: 「御朱印はどこですか？」 (Go-shuin wa doko desu ka? — “Where can I get a goshuin?”)
Step 5 — Hand Over Your Goshuincho
Open your goshuincho to the next blank page and hand it to the staff member at the counter. You don’t need to explain anything else — presenting the open book is the universal signal.
Say: 「御朱印をお願いします」(Go-shuin wo onegai shimasu — “May I have a goshuin, please?”)
That’s all you need to say. Most shrine staff, especially at popular tourist shrines, will understand even if you say nothing and just present the book with a smile and a bow.
Step 6 — Pay the Fee
The staff will usually tell you the price (or a sign will be posted nearby). Place the money on the small tray provided — do not hand coins directly into someone’s hand. This applies to all transactions at shrines and temples.
If no price is listed, ¥300–¥500 is appropriate. If you’re uncertain, you can ask: 「おいくらですか？」 (Oikura desu ka? — “How much is it?”)
Step 7 — Wait Quietly
The calligrapher will now write your goshuin by hand. This usually takes one to five minutes, depending on the complexity of the design and how busy the shrine is.
While you wait:
- Stand quietly or step aside to let others approach
- Don’t hover over the counter watching every brushstroke (though a little curiosity is natural)
- Keep your phone on silent and avoid loud conversations
- If you’re at a busy shrine, a staff member may give you a numbered tag and call you back when it’s ready
Step 8 — Receive Your Goshuin
When the calligrapher finishes, they’ll hand your goshuincho back to you. Often a thin sheet of paper (半紙, hanshi) will be placed between the pages to prevent the ink from smearing while it dries.
Receive the book with a small bow and say: 「ありがとうございます」 (Arigatō gozaimasu — “Thank you very much.”)
Don’t remove the paper insert immediately. Wait until the ink is fully dry (usually five to ten minutes) before turning the pages.
Handling Kakioki (書き置き) — Pre-Written Goshuin
Sometimes you’ll receive a goshuin on a separate sheet of paper rather than directly in your book. This is called kakioki (書き置き), and it happens:
- At small, unmanned shrines that leave a box of pre-written sheets
- When the shrine is very busy and staff are writing sheets in advance
- When you visit a shrine that offers seasonal art goshuin in limited runs
- When your goshuincho is a style the calligrapher can’t write in directly
Kakioki are equally valid. To use them:
- Let them dry completely before folding
- Paste them into your goshuincho at home using a glue stick (liquid glue makes them wrinkle)
- Apply glue to all four edges and the center — not just the corners
- Trim the sheet if it’s larger than your book page
Many collectors keep a dedicated section of their goshuincho for kakioki, or use a separate book just for pasted sheets.
Situations You Might Encounter
No One Is There
Small rural shrines often have no staff at all. Some leave a box with pre-written sheets and a donation envelope. Others simply don’t offer goshuin. This is not a problem — it’s part of the experience of exploring lesser-visited shrines.
Long Waits
At popular shrines — especially during New Year’s (hatsumode), cherry blossom season, or annual festivals — goshuin lines can stretch for thirty minutes to over an hour. Bring patience and the small coins ready. At some shrines, you’ll get a numbered ticket and can wander the grounds while you wait.
Multiple Goshuin at One Shrine
Some large shrines offer several different goshuin — for the main deity, subsidiary shrines (sessha/massha), or seasonal specials. The staff will usually show you a menu or sample board. You can request multiple goshuin at once, but pay separately for each.
Art Goshuin
Many shrines now offer elaborate seasonal art goshuin with colorful illustrations, limited to certain months or events. These often cost more (¥500–¥1,500) and may be kakioki format. They’re worth watching for — the designs are genuinely beautiful and many are true collector’s items.
Visiting Multiple Shrines in One Day
There’s no rule against visiting several shrines in a day. Many collectors plan entire days around shrine-hopping. The key is that you actually pray at each one — this isn’t a passport stamp collection. Take a moment at each shrine to pause, look around, and be present.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the prayer. The most important one. The goshuin is a record of your visit and prayer — not a souvenir stamp. Always pray before approaching the counter.
Showing up after 4:00 PM. Most goshuin counters close between 3:30 and 5:00 PM, even if the shrine grounds remain open later. Check before you go, especially at smaller shrines.
Bringing a regular notebook. Shrine staff will politely decline to write in anything other than a proper goshuincho.
Handing money directly. Always place your payment on the tray — not directly into the staff member’s hand.
Photographing the calligrapher without permission. It’s fine to photograph your own goshuin after you receive it. But don’t point a camera directly at the person writing without asking.
Leaving immediately after. Take a moment to walk the grounds, look at the architecture, notice the details. The shrine experience is more than the goshuin.
Useful Phrases
| Situation | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Requesting a goshuin | 御朱印をお願いします | Go-shuin wo onegai shimasu |
| Asking if goshuin are available | 御朱印はいただけますか？ | Go-shuin wa itadakemasu ka? |
| Asking where the counter is | 御朱印はどこですか？ | Go-shuin wa doko desu ka? |
| Asking the price | おいくらですか？ | Oikura desu ka? |
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | Arigatō gozaimasu |
At most tourist shrines, staff will understand what you want the moment you hold out your goshuincho. The language barrier is smaller than you think.
After Your Visit
Once you’re home, open your goshuincho and look at what you received. Each goshuin is hand-made — there will be slight variations in ink weight, brush pressure, and composition that make yours unlike anyone else’s.
Write down anything you want to remember: the date, the weather, what you prayed for, what surprised you about the shrine. A goshuin without context is just a stamp; a goshuin paired with a memory is something else entirely.
And then, when you’re ready, plan your next visit.
Collecting goshuin? Goshuin Meguri lets you photograph and organize every goshuin you receive, log your visits on a map, and build a digital record of your pilgrimage — so nothing gets lost if your goshuincho ever does.