Saisensaisen / 賽銭

A monetary offering tossed into the offering box as a token of gratitude to the gods or Buddha.

The character “sai” (賽) means “gratitude” or “thanksgiving,” revealing that saisen was originally an expression of thanks for answered prayers rather than a payment for wishes. Before coins became common, offerings of rice, cloth, and seafood were placed before the gods.

While there are no rules about how much to offer, Japanese wordplay has created popular customs: five yen (go-en) sounds like “good fortune/connection,” while ten yen (tō-en) is sometimes avoided as it sounds like “distant connection.” In recent years, some shrines have introduced cashless offering systems via QR codes, blending ancient tradition with modern technology.

• Haiden haiden / 拝殿

  The outer hall of a shrine where visitors offer prayers, typically featuring a bell and offering box.

• Honden honden / 本殿

  The innermost sacred building of a shrine where the divine object (goshintai) is enshrined.

• Heiden heiden / 幣殿

  The hall between the haiden and honden where offerings are presented to the deity.

• Hondō hondō / 本堂

  The central building of a Buddhist temple where the principal image of Buddha is enshrined.

• Gohonzon gohonzon / 御本尊

  The principal object of worship in a Buddhist temple — a statue, painting, or mandala of Buddha.

• Saisen saisen / 賽銭

  A monetary offering tossed into the offering box as a token of gratitude to the gods or Buddha.

• Saisenbako saisenbako / 賽銭箱

  A sturdy wooden box placed before the worship hall for visitors to deposit monetary offerings.

• Suzu suzu / 鈴

  A large bell hung at the front of the worship hall, rung by visitors to announce their presence to the gods.

• Suzuo suzuo / 鈴緒

  The thick rope or cord used to ring the shrine bell before prayer.

• Waniguchi waniguchi / 鰐口

  A flat, disc-shaped metal gong hung at temple entrances — the Buddhist equivalent of a shrine bell.

• Nihai-Nihakushu-Ichihai nihai nihakushu ichihai / 二拝二拍手一拝

  The standard Shinto worship sequence: two deep bows, two handclaps, and one final bow.

• Kashiwade kashiwade / 柏手

  The practice of clapping hands together during shrine worship to show reverence and announce one's presence.

• Gasshō gasshō / 合掌

  The Buddhist prayer posture of pressing both palms together in front of the chest.

• Shōkō shōkō / 焼香

  The ritual of burning incense at a temple or funeral to honor Buddha or the deceased.

• Senkō senkō / 線香

  Thin sticks of incense offered before Buddhist altars to purify the space and nourish the spirit.

• Kōro kōro / 香炉

  A large incense vessel at temple entrances where visitors waft smoke over themselves for purification.