My “honourable stamp/seal book” or Goshuincho (御朱印帳) has been sitting gathering dust for a while now long to get more goshuin added. I haven’t been able to visit any shrines, temples, or castles since traveling to Shikoku and getting a few from there. I know seals could be gotten from temples and shrines, but it was in Shikoku I discovered that I can also get them from castles.
The original purpose of Goshuin
Back in the day visiting shrines and temples were very important. They are sprinkled all over Japan from major cities to in the middle of the wilderness. Pilgrims, traders, officials, and travelers stopped at these places of worship to not only show their respect but also to get the stamp that would serve as proof of their visit and travel route. The stamp would have the name of the shrine, date and time of visit plus other small details in exchange for a small fee. It’s easy to see how a Goshuincho with many stamps became a collector’s item and something to acquire and pass on.
I want to reignite my quest to collect as many Pokémon, um… I mean stamps/seals I can from all over Japan and I found myself reliving the memories from the ones I have gotten so far from atop Mount Fuji to my local shrine. Let’s check them out together.
Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja Shrine
📍 新倉富士浅間神社 ⛩️
Kusushi Shrine x 2
📍 淺間大社 奧宮 久須志神社 ⛩️
Gesshoji Temple
📍 月照寺 ☸️
Mefu Shrine
📍 賣布(めふ)神社 ⛩️
Ishite Temple
📍 石手寺 ☸️
Uwajima Castle
📍 宇和島城 🏯
Warei Shrine
📍 和霊神社 ⛩️
Ushioe Tenmangu
📍 潮江天満宮 ⛩️
Kochi Hachimangu
📍 高知八幡宮 ⛩️
Marugame Castle
📍 丸亀城 🏯
Zentsu-ji
📍 善通寺 ☸️
Oki Shrine
📍 隠岐神社 ⛩️
The map embedded below shows where in Japan my goshuin stamps have come from so far and I will continue to update the map as I get more. Have you been collecting stamps/seals at temples, shrines, and castles? Do you want to start? Tell me in a comment below or tweet me @Jamaipanese. I am happy to answer any questions or chat about collecting goshuin stamps in a shrine book (御朱印帳).
Goshuincho and Goshuin gallery
I wasnt aware of this. I usually just buy an omikuji and that’s it.
Its a great way to remember where you have been and when. Its not too late to start.