Japanese Shrine Etiquette, How to do a Hairei

Mon, June 18, 2012, by
Visiting a Shinto shrine, after the temizu purification presented yesterday, the next step is to go to the haiden (the shrine's hall of worship) and perform the typical Shinto prayer, the hairei.

How to properly perform a hairei:
In front of the haiden, there's always an offering box and a bell with a rope attached. Shake the rope to make the bell ring and throw some coins in the offering box (this is not mandatory, but it is customary).
Bow two times, clap your hands twice and remain for a moment with the hands united in front of the heart. Finally, the hairei ends with another bow...


Yasukuni Shrine, Chiyoda, Tokyo
EXIF info:

Nikon D90
Lens: VR 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/250s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 200


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