Start here: a goshuin is proof of a visit
A goshuin is received as evidence that you came and paid your respects. It is not a commemorative stamp. Hold on to that one idea and most of the smaller questions answer themselves.
Which is why the order is worship first, goshuin afterwards. Some places will ask to take your book at the counter first and write it while you go and pray; that is their arrangement, offered to you. Absent any such instruction, you go to the counter after paying your respects.
The act of worship itself, the sequence of bows and claps and why you do not clap at a temple, is set out on our sister site under hatsumode and how to pay respects. This site picks up from there and deals only with receiving the goshuin.
Which way round does the concertina go?
Almost every book sold is a jabara, a single long sheet folded like a screen. It has two covers and opens from either side.
Telling front from back
- The side with the daisen is the front. That is the white paper slip on the cover, where the words "goshuincho" or your own name are written
- With no slip, or one on both covers, go by the clasp or the tie. The front is the orientation that puts the fastening on your right
- Some books genuinely give you nothing to go on. Then whichever side you decide is the front simply is the front, for the life of that book. Consistency within one book matters more than any rule
Direction of travel
As with a traditionally bound Japanese book, you work right to left. Hold the cover on your right, open, and fill the spreads left-ward in turn.
Because the whole thing is one continuous sheet, you cannot remove a single leaf. How you treat the reverse changes how many pages you actually have, and that gets its own page: using the reverse side.
What happens at the counter
Once you have done it once, the whole thing takes a minute.
- Pay your respects first
- Find the office. Look for juyosho, shamusho or nokyosho; some places simply post "goshuin"
- Open the book at the page you want written and hand it over with both hands
- Offer the fee
- Wait quietly where you are while it is written
- Receive it back with both hands, and thank them
Why you hand it over open
Hand it over shut and the person writing has to hunt for your page. Opening it yourself at the next free page spares them that. If the book came with interleaving slips, leaving one at that page makes it surer still.
What to offer
Three hundred to five hundred yen is usual, and five hundred is what you will meet most often. Where you are told to give what you think right, anything in that range is correct. Bring coins so no change is needed and you make it easier for both of you.
Easy mistakes
| Moment | Best avoided | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Asking | Asking them to "stamp it" | Ask whether you may receive a goshuin |
| While you wait | Filming their hands | Ask first, unless a notice says otherwise |
| Just written | Closing it at once | Leave it open until the ink dries |
| Busy days | Presenting several books | One book per person |
| Out of hours | Ringing the bell repeatedly | Check the hours and come back |
"Stamp it" is worth avoiding because a goshuin is brushwork and seal together, not an impression. The phrasing misdescribes what the person in front of you is about to do.
Close the book before the ink dries and it transfers to the facing page. Use the interleaving slip if there is one, and if not, simply hold it open for half a minute. There is nothing at all to be gained by hurrying here.
Choosing your first book
From a purely practical angle, three things decide it.
- Size: the standard, around 16 x 11 cm, has by far the widest choice of covers and pouches. The large format, around 18 x 12 cm, gives the calligrapher more room and gives you almost no accessory choice
- Paper weight: thin paper lets ink through. If you intend to use the reverse, start with a book made from heavier washi and you avoid the problem entirely
- Length: about 24 folds, 48 faces, is standard. At a few visits a month that lasts roughly two years
To see what fits the book you already have, use the size and accessory fit check. Where to buy one is covered in where to buy a goshuin book.
Read next
Practice around goshuin and the books that hold them differs between shrines, temples and Buddhist schools. What follows is general orientation, not a rule. Notices posted on site and the guidance of the office there always take precedence. Nichiren-shu temples inscribe a goshuimon, and some will not write it into a book that already holds entries from elsewhere.
PR — This page contains promotional content
Frequently asked questions
Which end of a goshuin book do I start from?
The side carrying the daisen, the white paper slip on the cover, is the front. Hold that cover on your right, open it, and work right to left. Some books have no slip, or one on both covers; then whichever side you decide is the front is the front, as long as you keep to it.
How much should I offer for a goshuin?
Three hundred to five hundred yen is usual, and five hundred is the figure you meet most often. Where you are told to give what you think right, anything in that range is correct. Bring coins so no change is needed.
Do I pay my respects before or after receiving the goshuin?
Before. The goshuin is received as proof of the visit. The exception is where a busy shrine or temple asks to take your book first and write it while you go and pray, in which case follow what they suggest.
Why do I hand the book over already open?
Because otherwise the person writing has to find your page. Open it yourself at the next free page and pass it with both hands. If your book came with interleaving slips, leaving one at that page makes it surer still.
Can I close the book straight after it is written?
Leave it open until the ink dries, or it transfers to the facing page. Use the interleaving slip if the book has one; otherwise half a minute held open is enough.