How to Pray

How to Pray in Shinto shrine

• Make an offering – Toss a coin into the box (a 5-yen coin, go-en, is considered lucky).

• Ring the bell (if present) – This greets the kami.

• Bow twice – Two deep, 90-degree bows.

• Clap twice – Keep your hands together after the second clap.

• Pray silently – State your name and address in your mind, then make your wish or express gratitude.

• Bow once more – One final deep bow to close.

  

This way of praying became common during the Meiji period (19th-20th century), but there are some exceptions, such as the Izumo Oyashiro Shrine, which asks visitors to bow twice, clap four times, and then bow once more.

Clapping hands, a natural expression of pleasure or gratitude in daily life, is a respectful act to show sincere reverence to the enshrined kami.