What should I do at a Japanese shrine?

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I am going with my family to Japan soon, and they really want to visit a Japanese shrine. I was researching on it, and I found it was a really nice tourist spot, but found that you are required to pray. Like you throw a coin somewhere and wash up before you enter, and I am fine with all that, but would it be fine if I just pray to God? These shrines are dedicated to certain beings for Shinto practitioners, but I dont want to pray to any false god or whatever, so do you think praying to God is the best way to go? I dont know if that would be disrespectful or whatever, but anyways please let me know your thoughts, thank you!
 
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You don’t have to pray. Bow your head and think about what’s for lunch. Or say a prayer. I don’t think the prayer police will be there to read your mind.
 
@Tis_Bearself @Zaccheus I just feel weird though tbh. Like praying to God in a shrine to some false ones you know. But I will probably end up praying to God or just think about lunch lol
 
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Why not pray? Pray to the one true God. If you are like me, you might even pray to the Japanese ancestors. After all, there may be saints who lived in that land, good people whose faith is known to God alone. If they are saints, they know God – they know Jesus now, even if they didn’t know him or know of him on earth – and so we may ask them to pray for the people of Japan and for us as well.
 
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I personally wouldn’t go in and pray, but perhaps pray outside. I also wouldn’t, however, say it would be wrong or even ill-advised to go in and pray, but for fear of causing scandal or confusion, I personally would stay outside and pray on my own.
 
Ooo good idea actually! Ill just have to get past the fact that I am not going to be able to do the sign of the cross though lol.
 
Oh, is that considered offensive over there, in the shrines?
 
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But what if I just do the clapping and bowing and just think about other stuff?
 
In the shrines yea, my parents just want to go visit and stuff, but we heard that you have to bow or clap and stuff. Thats the main reason I kinda feel uncomfortable about praying to God - I do not want to disrespect him by not doing the sign of the cross.
 
Should I just go in and do the clapping and bowing, but just think about other stuff aside from religion? I really want to be able to see the inside, and I dont want to disrespect anyone @Vico
 
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Well, here’s my line of thinking.
If I were vacationing in Japan, and I saw a priest go into one of these shrines and start praying, I could probably assume he was praying to Our Lord and not a Shinto being. Even if I assumed this, I’d be very confused as to why in the world he chose to pray there specifically, a shrine not dedicated to a Catholic saint, Our Lady, a site of a miracle/apparition, etc. Same goes for if I saw you going in to pray and I noticed you wearing a crucifix.
Again, I cannot say concretely whether it would be any problem at all do pray there. Even the bowing of heads and clapping, which, culturally, I understand to be part of Shinto traditions (?), perhaps it’s just a “when in Rome” thing. So I cannot say you should or should not, but I personally would advise against it.
 
Vico said:
It is important not to give scandal to others by participating in their religion, for that could be misleading them and others away from the Gospel which we Christians follow.
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In many fewer words, thankfully, this is what I was thinking.
 
Labaddy said:
Should I just go in and do the clapping and bowing, but just think about other stuff aside from religion? I really want to be able to see the inside, and I dont want to disrespect anyone @Vico
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I know what you are referring to because I saw it on a travel program. They pray to the Shinto kami and believe that when a person dies they also become one (ancestral kami). The belief is that people might be purified at shrines according to rituals (oharae).
 
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@Vico @StephenBales Ah, okay. Now I kind of have another question. At first, I was fine for the dropping of coin thing, but now Im kinda questioning it? What do you guys suggest I do? I will try to avoid doing the praying n stuff, but the coin things kinda vital (?) I just really want to explore and get some nice photos there.
 
Labaddy said:
@Vico @StephenBales Ah, okay. Now I kind of have another question. At first, I was fine for the dropping of coin thing, but now Im kinda questioning it? What do you guys suggest I do? I will try to avoid doing the praying n stuff, but the coin things kinda vital (?) I just really want to explore and get some nice photos there.
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The coin is an offering to the kami to listen to your prayers.
 
Depends on what the coins go to, I would think. Another tribute to Shinto beings? Donated to charity? Collected and used merely for upkeep of a historical or cultural monument? Admission?
If the first one, I would think no. If the second, third, fourth, or many other cases, I would think it’s fine.
Vico said:
The coin is an offering to the kami to listen to your prayers.
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Oooooooooh, so close. Never mind, that’s a negative, ghost rider.
 
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