Shrines Becoming Popular with Foreign Visitors

Close Up Japan | 神社に外国人参拝客が急増

Shrines Becoming Popular with Foreign Visitors

The New Year’s visit to a shrine is a big deal for Japanese people, but recently there’s been an explosion in the numbers of non-Japanese visitors. In famous shrines and temples in Tokyo and Kyoto, you can see many ema (votive wooden plaques) written in foreign languages, such as English, Chinese, and Korean. Supplicants write down their wishes concerning such things as their health, work, or their love lives, on the plaques and hang them up in a designated spot. You can write things like “I would like to find a partner,” “Praying for the good health of my family,” and “I hope I can pass the entrance exam for university” on ema. Some people even draw illustrations on them. Along with ema, omikuji (fortune telling slips) are also popular with non-Japanese. These days it’s possible to buy omikuji written in foreign languages. Omikuji predict your fortune for the year. They are basically divided into “excellent luck,” “good fortune,” “slightly lucky,” and “bad luck,” but some refine this even further. Though some people are delighted or disappointed with the results, the majority don’t take them seriously. Many people tie them to a tree in the grounds of the shrine. It’s said that this means you’re binding your fate to that of the deity residing there. There are various kinds of shrines and temples. Some have branches all over Japan like a chain store, while others located on small plots serve a local area just like an independent store. In addition, there are places that are like large department stores boasting a large number of benefits for visitors, but also others that are like boutique stores offering special services from deities such as the god of matchmaking or the god of wisdom. Just as in the proverb “Danger past. God forgotten,” some atheists turn up and earnestly offer up prayers. On the other hand, there is an anecdote about the early Edo period (17th century) master swordsman MIYAMAOTO Musashi visiting a shrine before a duel. Recognizing the weakness of his own spirit for clinging to a god, he felt ashamed and left without offering up any prayers.

初詣はつもうで
hatsumoude ha
(the) New Year’s visit to (a) shrine
日本人にほんじん
nihonnjinn
Japanese people
にとって
ni totte
for
一大行事いちだいぎょうじ
ichidai gyouji
(a) big deal
です
desu
is
が、
ga,
but
近年きんねん
kinnnenn ha
recently
外国人がいこくじん参拝客さんぱいきゃく
gaikokujinn sannpaikyaku ga
(the numbers of) non-Japanese visitors
急増きゅうぞうしています。
kyuuzou shite imasu.
there’s been (an) explosion
東京とうきょう
toukyou
in Tokyo
ya
and
京都きょうとなど
kyouto nado
Kyoto
no
in
有名ゆうめい
yuumei na
famous
神社じんじゃ
jinnjya
shrines
ya
and
寺院じいん
jiinn
temples
には、
niha,
in
英語えいご
eigo,
English
中国語ちゅうごくご
chuugoku go,
Chinese
ハングルはんぐる
hannguru
and Korean
をはじめ、
wo hajime,
such as
外国語がいこくご
gaikokugo
foreign languages
de
in
かれた
kakareta
written
絵馬えま
ema
ema
ねがごと
negaigoto wo
votive
いた
kaita
[written]
木札きふだ)が
kifuda ga
wooden plaques
たくさん
takusann
many
られます。
mirare masu.
(you) can see
参拝者さんぱいしゃ
sanpaisha ha
supplicants
絵馬えま
ema
(the) plaques
ni
on
健康けんこう
kennkou
(their) health
ya
or
仕事しごと
shigoto,
work
恋愛れんあい
rennai
(their) love lives
などの
nado no
such things as
ねがごと
negaigoto wo
(their) wishes (concerning)
いて
kaite
write down and
所定しょてい場所ばしょ
shotei no basho
(a) designated spot
ni
in
けます。
kakemasu.
hang (them) up
絵馬えま
ema
ema
には
niha
on
結婚けっこん相手あいて
kekkonn aite ga
(a) partner
つかります
mitsukarimasu
to find
ように」
youni
(I) would like
家族かぞく
kazoku ga
(my) family
健康けんこう
kennkou de
(the) good health of
いられますように」
iraremasu youni
praying for
大学だいがく
daigaku
(and) university
入試にゅうし
nyuushi ni
(the) entrance exam for
合格ごうかくできます
goukaku dekimasu
(I) can pass
ように」
youni
(I) hope
などの
nado no
like
ねがいを
negai wo
things
きます。
kaki masu.
(you) can write
イラストいらすと
irasuto
illustrations (on them)
wo
even
えが
egaku
draw
ひともいます。
hito mo imasu.
some people
絵馬えま
ema
ema
ならんで
to narannde
along with
「おみくじ」
omikuji
fortune telling slips
運勢うんせい
unnsei wo
fortune
うらな
uranau
telling
かみ
kami
slip
mo
also
外国人がいこくじん
gaikokujinn
non-Japanese
ni
with
人気にんき
ninnki
popular
です。
desu.
are
最近さいきんは、
saikinn ha,
these days
外国語がいこくご
gaikokugo
foreign languages
de
in
かれた
kakareta
written
おみくじを
omikuji wo
omikuji
くことも
hiku koto mo
to buy <draw>
できます。
dekimasu.
(it)’s possible
おみくじは
omikuji ha
omikuji
そのとし
sono toshi
the year
no
for
運勢うんせい
unnsei wo
(your) fortune
うらなうものです。
uranau mono desu.
predict
大吉だいきち
daikichi,
excellent luck
中吉ちゅうきち
chuukichi,
good fortune
小吉しょうきち
shoukichi,
slightly lucky
きょう
kyou ga
(and) bad luck
基本きほん分類ぶんるい
kihonn bunnrui
basically divided into
です
desu
(they) are
が、
ga,
but
神社じんじゃにより
jinnjya ni yori
some [shirines]
さらに
sarani
(even) further
こまかくかれます。
komakaku wakare masu.
refine (this)
その結果けっか
sonokekka
the results
ni
with
よろこんだり、
yorokonndari,
(some people) are delighted or
がっかりしたりします
gakkari shitari shimasu
disappointed
が、
ga,
though
あそびとかんがえる
asobi to kanngaeru
don’t take them seriously <fun game>
ひとはたくさんいます。
hito ha takusann imasu.
the majority
おおくの
ooku no
many
ひと
hito ha
people
おみくじを
omikuji wo
them <omikuji>
境内けいだい
keidai
(the) grounds of (the) shrine
no
in
ki
(a) tree
ni
to
むすびます。
musubi masu.
tie
これには
koreniha
this
かみ
kami
(that of the) deity (residing there)
to
to
むすばれる
musubareru
(you)’re binding (your fate)
という
toiu
[that]
意味いみがある
imi ga aru
means
to
that
いわれます。
iware masu.
(it)’s said
神社じんじゃ
jinnjya
shrines
ya
and
寺院じいん
jiinn no
temples
形態けいたい
keitai ha
kinds of
さまざま
samazama
various
です。
desu.
there are
チェーン店ちぇーんてん
che-nntenn
(a) chain store
のように
no youni
like
全国ぜんこく
zennkoku ni
all over Japan
分社ぶんしゃ
bunnsha ga
branches
ある
aru
have
ところ
tokoro
some
や、
ya,
while
個人こじん商店しょうてん
kojinn shoutenn
(an) independent store
のように
no youni
just like
地域ちいきざした
chiiki ni nezashita
serve a local area
ちいさなところも
chiisana tokoro mo
small plots
あります。
arimasu.
others (located on)
また、
mata,
in addition
おおくの
ooku no
a large number of
効能こうのう
kounou wo
benefits (for visitors)
うたう 
utau
boasting
おおきな
ookina
large
デパートでぱーと
depa-to
department stores
のような
no youna
(that) are like
ところ
tokoro
places
だけでなく
dake de naku
but also
縁結えんむす
ennmusubi
matchmaking
no
of
かみ
kami,
(the) god
学問がくもん
gakumonn
(or) wisdom
no
of
かみ
kami
(the) god
など、
nado,
such as
特別とくべつ
tokubetsu na
special
効能こうのう
kounou wo
services
うたう
utau
offering (from deities)
専門店せんもんてん
sennmonntenn
boutique <specialty> stores
のような
no youna
(that) are like
ところも
tokoro mo
others
あります。
arimasu.
there are
くるしいとき神頼かみだのみ」
kurushii toki no kamidanomi
Danger past. God forgotten
という
toiu
in
ことわざが
kotowaza ga
(the) proverb
あるように、
aru youni,
just as
神仏しんぶつしんじていない
shinnbutsu wo shinnjite inai
atheists
ひと
hito mo
some
本気ほんき
honnki de
(and) earnestly
願掛がんかけに
gannkake ni
prayers offer up
やってきます。
yatte kimasu.
turn up
一方いっぽうでは、
ippou deha,
on the other hand
江戸えど時代じだい初期しょき
edo jidai shoki
(the) early Edo period
17じゅうなな世紀せいき)の
jyuunana seiki no
seventeenth century
けん達人たつじん
kenn no tatsujinn,
master swordsman
宮本みやもと武蔵むさし
miyamoto musashi ga
Miyamoto Musashi
決闘けっとう
kettou
(a) duel
まえ
mae ni
before
神社じんじゃ
jinnjya wo
(a) shrine
おとずれた
otozureta
visiting
エピソードえぴそーど
episo-do ga
(an) anecdote (about)
あります。
arimasu.
there is
かみ
kami
(a) god
ni
to
すがろうとする
sugarou to suru
for clinging
自分じぶん
jibunn no
his own
こころ
kokoro
spirit
no
of
よわさに
yowasa ni
(the) weakness
づき、
kiduki,
recognizing
それをじて
sore wo hajite
(he) felt ashamed [it] and
おがまずに
ogamazu ni
without offering up (any) prayers
った
satta
left
to
[that]
いいます。
iimasu.
[it is said]

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