Goshuin: Everything you need to know about Japan’s favorite religious collectible
Photo by Sara Atwood
By Chloe Holm (Ehime, 2022-2023)
If you’ve visited a temple or shrine in Japan, chances are you’ve walked right past a goshuin stand without even knowing. These modest stands are at nearly every temple and shrine in Japan, and the tradition of collecting goshuin is as old as the creation of the Japanese language itself. So, if you find yourself leaving a temple or shrine empty-handed, you may have missed an amazing opportunity to document your visit and participate in a 1,300 year old Japanese tradition!
What are goshuin?
The term “goshuin” translates literally into “honorable red seal” and reflects the meaning of the word: the red seal of the temple or shrine placed in a goshuincho, an accordion-like book designed for this act of recording one’s offerings and visits to holy sites in Japan. The goshuincho is a perfect example of a modern-day travel book that captures Japan’s religious history of pilgrimages for Buddhist and Shinto believers. They are the perfect time capsule that represents Japan’s affinity for beauty, gifts, and all things collectable, not to mention doubling as an impressive and unique souvenir. Like a fingerprint, each seal is unique to the shrine or temple and carries its history, energy, and spiritual power, and with roughly 160,000 temples and shrines throughout Japan, it can become an impressive collection of visited sites and experiences.
About the Author
Chloe Holm is an Ehime JET alumni from Ohio who is now working as a professor in Tokyo. She’s an aspiring journalist and loves writing about the latest in movies, TV, travel, and all things Japan. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s probably watching a blockbuster or baking something delicious.
This article was published in partnership with AJET’s CONNECT magazine.
