Goshuin Stamp-book

Goshuin stamp-books are becoming gradually popular. The above picture is a goshuin stamp-book with which someone used to go around temples and shrines. The word goshuin stamp-books in Japanese comprises of “go”, “shu” and “in” by kanji characters, it means “respectful”, “vermilion” and “stamp”.

It is said that the original style of goshuin stamp-books was generated in the twelve century, but the present goshuin stamp-books aren’t the stale repetition of an outworn style.

Goshuin stamp-books include so many Japanese styles that it matches your memorial goods of traveling in Japan. It will surrender yourself to a world enclosed by something energetic of Japan when you look at it.

A lot of Japanese styles

Goshuin stamp-books themselves are a Japanese style and include many elements of Japanese style as well. First of all the paper of goshuin stamp-book is Japanese paper “washi”. Washi presents specific texture to written words.

 Second, there are goshuin stamp-books with one folded paper among many goshuin stamp-books. It is able to be expanded and you can look at the overall at a glance like a traditional Japanese picture art or caricatures with stories “e-makimono”.

Third, the records of visiting temples or shrines are noted by Japanese characters “kanji” and vermilion kanji stamps. These express the Japanese mode strongly.

Forth, the front cover of goshuin stamp-book is made of a Japanese textile. The appearance and touch of the front cover is just Japanese.


The popularity among ladies in particular

Among young ladies the touring around “power-spot” places gets a position of popularity. Power-spot places are the places where the energy in nature revitalizes you. Power-spot places energizes people and detach their uncleanliness from their hearts. Why do ladies do this? Probably it seems to me that men are poor regarding something invisible whereas ladies are rich. Ladies might be imbued with senses of invisible energy.

In Japan many of power-spot places are nearly equal to places of temples or shrines. Thus ladies touring around power-spot places carry goshuin stamp-books so as to record the places where they visited.

Among young ladies the touring around historical places of renowned samurai of popularity is quiet a boom, they are called “rekijo”( ladies who love the history of Japan). They like to take a tour of places where a lovely specific renowned samurai lived and acted bravely. And those places are almost always shrines which enshrine them.

The front cover of a goshuin stamp-book has various kinds of textiles, and the front cover pictures of renowned temples and shrines which issues their original goshuin stamp-books for monetary offering is popular in particular.

Your goshuin stamp-book which you get from your favorite temple or Shrine is the registered note of your original pilgrimage. When you get a goshuin stamp-book at a temple or shrine, the note of visiting there is registered in the first page of your goshuin stamp-book. And the long other white pages tell you where to go to the next place wordlessly. You may plan your own original pilgrimage, or you may visit other places according to your travel plans.

How to make your pilgrimage more meticulously

By the way, the style of temples is different from the style of shrines. The temple’s style is strong and has thick kanji characters, but the shrine’s style has thin kanji characters. Then the advanced goshuin stamp collectors go around the same religious places as the first visiting place.

That said, it doesn’t matter that your goshuin stamp-book is mixed with stamps both of temples and shrines. Combining your track records in your goshuin stamp-book with your memorable experience will make your own constellation of memories during your travels in Japan.

Let’s go to get a goshuin stamp-book


When you visit a popular temple or shrine, you should look for the information about goshuin before praying there. The picture above is the information of reception for goshuin, the big four kanji characters are “shu which equals vermilion”, “in which equals a stamp” and “uke and tuke which equal reception”. You will go to a reception and get a goshuin stamp-book and order making stamps in your goshuin stamp-book by a monetary offering. After praying you will get back your goshuin stamp-book. At the next temple or shrine you may store your goshuin stamp-book at the reception with the other monetary offering, normally 300yen.

Pilgrimage of the regional ritual


There are some pilgrimage touring courses in Japan. The most famous one is the pilgrimage of the 88 places in Shikoku. Shikoku is the fourth largest island by scale in Japan, it is located between the west of the Kansai region and the east of Kyushu island. Shikoku contains Kagawa prefecture, Ehime prefecture, Tokushima prefecture and Kochi prefecture. This pilgrimage demands a lot of time for the accomplishment. All of the 88 temples have a strong relation with “ Kobo-daishi”, he was one of the most renowned Buddhist in the Heian period. The picture above is of the two pilgrims who pray about something at a temple during the pilgrimage of the 88 places in Shikoku. The hat and white coat are specific characteristics in this pilgrimage. The pilgrims have to put much religious service in effect by their strong intentions regardless of gender and age. They are touring with Kobo-daishi, and of course they bring the goshuin stamp-books for the pilgrimage of the 88 places in Shikoku.

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