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A is a seal stamp given to worshippers and visitors to

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

s and Buddhist temples in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The seal stamps are often collected in books called that are sold at shrines and temples. The stamps are different from commemorative stamps in that they are made by people who work at the temples: Buddhist '' Hōshi'', or Shinto ''

Kannushi A , also called , is a person responsible for the maintenance of a as well as for leading worship of a given .* ''Kannushi'' (in Japanese), Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version The characters for are sometimes also re ...

''. To create the shuin, the writer presses down one or more large stamps, and then uses black ink to write, in his distinctive calligraphy, the name of the temple, the day of the visit, and other messages on and around the stamped portions. There are various theories about the origin of shuin, though the strongest is that it was a receipt for a dedicated copied sutra. There are still temples where one cannot receive a shuin without having donated a sutra or money, but the majority of the temples will now accept a small amount of money for a shuin. It usually costs 300 yen, though there are some places that charge up to 1000 yen. At

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto jinja (shrine), shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima, Hiroshima, Miyajima), best known for its "floating" ''torii'' gate.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)"''Itsukushima-jinja''"in ''Japa ...

, there is a sign that asks people to dedicate their feelings. Special shuinchō (and occasionally hanging scrolls) are available for people who do pilgrimages such as the

Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage The is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as . The principal image in each ...

and the

Shikoku Pilgrimage The or is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai (''Kōbō Daishi'') on the island of Shikoku, Japan. A popular and distinctive feature of the island's cultural landscape, and with a long histor ...

. People who do the Shikoku pilgrimage can also get shuin on the white robes they sometimes wear. A number of

Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran ( ...

temples do not offer shuin.

Gallery

File:Saiɡokuɜɜ0ɨ.jpg, shuinchō (朱印帳) File:Noukyoutyo.jpg, kasane-in (重ね印) File:Byakue.jpg, byakue (白衣) File:Omie01a.jpg, miei (御影) File:Kinensanɡe.jpg, sange (散華) File:写真.jpg, mangan (満願の証) File:大蓮寺.jpg, A shuin from Dairen-ji (大蓮寺) File:Tohorenɡyou.jpg, pilgrimage

References

Temples in Japan Shinto religious objects Buddhist symbols {{Japan-reli-stub