The Shinto prayer ritual
At a Shinto shrine, the typical prayer is: two bows, two claps, one bow. Drop a coin in the offering box first.
Do's
- Toss a coin (¥5 is traditional) into the box
- Ring the bell if there is one
- Bow twice, clap twice, pray silently, bow once more
Don'ts
- Don't pray loudly
- Don't take photos of others mid-prayer
Tips
Five yen (go-en) sounds like the word for 'good fortune' in Japanese.