It has been just over a week after the New Year. Most people started working on the 4th of January, and the normality will come back after this long weekend. I hope this newsletter finds you well and your New Year started with lots of happiness. For us Japanese this season is an important time to visit temples and shrines to renew our spirits. We call the first visit to the shrines or temples “Hatsumode”. There has been one question every year around this time. It must be so confusing for foreign visitors that some people go to shrines and others go to the temple to wish good luck in the New Year. In this newsletter, I will write a little about the difference and what you should be aware of.
It was the first restriction-free New Year's holiday in three years since the pandemic started and far more people went out than in the previous years. The number of visitors to Meiji Shrine, Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple and Kawasaki Daishi, which always dominated the top three with more than three million visitors on the three days of the New Year, seemed to have returned this year.
I don’t think there are many other such mass movements in any part of the world. There is a kind of contradiction regarding where people visit for praying on New Year's day. Japanese people go to either shrines or temples depending on which ones they belong to. I always go to Kawasaki Daishi, but some people may go to Meiji Jingu Shrine on the occasion of the New Year even though they are Buddhist. The destination for their first visit of the year may change year by year. If we take a look at this point from a religious aspect, it may be difficult to understand for Christians. It is quite possible that a young woman who wants to get married early, but whose family is Buddhist, will make a first visit to a shrine famous for matchmaking, just for that year, in the hope of meeting someone suitable.
Hatsumode must be considered even for Japanese that we should go to shrines instead of temples. But the reality is you can go both. Shrines and temples have been clearly distinguished in Japan since the 'Shinto and Buddhist Separation Order' of the Meiji era. This is a surprisingly recent development. Until then, many deities and Buddhas were considered objects of worship without distinction.
Hatsumode is very religious as a ritual, but it also seems to have an aspect of being a major annual event that symbolizes Japanese culture according to the fact that the Japanese go to both shrines and temples. Omikuji(a fortune paper) and amulets are widely sold at all the shrines and temples, and people get them with donations praying for good luck in the coming year.
The difference between shrines and temples
Temples are said to have been built based on the teachings of Buddhism, and shrines belong to Shinto and are sacred places where deities reside.
In Buddhism, the Buddha is the object of worship. Buddhas are ranked according to their degree of enlightenment, but Amida Nyorai is said to have the highest rank. The Buddha statue enshrined in the principal image of many temples in Japan is Amida Nyorai.
On the other hand, Shinto is a religion that originated in Japan, and its origins are said to date back to the Jomon period around 200 BC. Shinto has no guru or scriptures. As the word "eight million deities" suggests, the object of prayer is the deification of various things, not only specific people, animals and plants, but also natural objects such as mountains, rivers, the moon and the sun. The idea that the supreme deity is Amaterasu Omikami is common.
Manner difference
Shrines and temples are different religions, and their etiquette is different. As a traveller, you should be comfortable as long as you know the differences in etiquette.
Shrines
Bow in front of the torii gate that serves as the entrance and walks along the approach to the hall of worship. In general, the centre of the approach is used as a path for the deities, so you are advised to walk along either the left or right edge of the approach
Remember to cleanse your hands and mouth at the “chozuya” before visiting the shrine. The first thing to do is to hold the ladle in your right hand and wash your left hand first, then switch the ladles and wash your right hand. Finally, receive water in your left palm and rinse it in your mouth. This etiquette is the same at both shrines and temples.
When you stand in front of the hall of worship, make a monetary donation and ring the bell to invoke the deity. Perform 'Ni-rei Ni-hakushu Ichi-rei' (two bowings, two claps, one bowing).
Temples
The way of worship at a temple is the same as at a shrine up to the halfway point. First, bow at the entrance gate and walk along the approach. In temples, you may walk down the middle, but do not step on the threshold of the gate.
After purifying your hands and mouth at the hand- and mouth-watering basin, head towards the main hall. When there is a jokoro (incense burner) on the way, bathe in the smoke of the incense to purify your body and mind.
When you stand in front of the Gohonzon Buddha image in the main hall, make a monetary donation and pay your respects. This is where temples differ from shrines. At temples, you do not clap your hands, but quietly clasp your hands together in a 'gassho' gesture and pray in your heart. When you have finished praying, bow deeply and leave the place.
For travellers from abroad, complicated manners can be a headache. Once you start considering all the manners, you will not enjoy the visit. It’s best to know all the manners before you go and follow them, but the important point is paying respect and not trying to behave exactly like local people. So, enjoy the solemnity of Japanese culture. You’ll be highly evaluated if you understand how shrines and temples differ when you visit them in the hall of worship or the main hall.
Given their size and historical worship at shrines and temples, it is clear where to go in Tokyo. If you go for a shrine, Meiji Jingu Shrine is one you can’t miss. Not only the location but also the accessibility to other attractions such as Harajuku and Shibuya. It is so quiet, and you can be relaxed that you wouldn't believe you are in the centre of Tokyo. It opens from sunrise until sunset. You’d better go there in the morning to breathe the fresh air if you can.
For the temple, there is no doubt that you should go to Senso-ji at Asakusa. In recent days Asakusa is always packed with tourists, but you still deserve to go there. Senso-ji is said to be the oldest temple in Tokyo and Asakusa is typical of the downtown Tokyo atmosphere.
Putting aside the minutiae of religious talk, a visit to a major temple or shrine, such as Meiji Jingu or Senso-ji, is bound to make your day meaningful. Please don't make too many wishes at a time to a deity or Buddha!!