Goshuincho: an authentic souvenir from Japan

The most amazing memory we brought home with us from Japan is our Goshuincho, the red stamps book. It’s not a simple souvenir; it is the result of your interest in Japanese temples and shrines, it shows your patience in worshipping and queuing, and it will remind you of every temple you visited and admired.

I am so happy I learned about this before arriving to Japan: keep reading to be prepared for yours!

What is the Goshuincho?

When pilgrims used to travel through the country, they used to collect each temple’s “goshuin” stamp on a notebook, as proof of their devotion. Goshuincho literally translates into honorable (go) red stamps/seals (shuin) book (cho). Very religious people still do it and are cremated with their goshuincho. 

Nowadays, you can buy notebooks at most Buddhist temples and Shintoist shrines for 1000-2000 YEN (appprox. 8-16 EUR) and, after paying your respects or praying, receive the stamp at a specific office within the temple grounds for 300 YEN (only at Senso-ji in Tokyo we paid 500 YEN). The notebook cover comes in plain colours, with a design or drawing, and in many materials. It opens up like an accordion, so be careful not to drop it! And of course, it opens to the left, opposite compared to the way us westerners would open it.

I bought ours at Hokoku Shrine at Osaka Castle. Thus began our journey to visit temples, pray, find the relevant office, and patiently queue for our stamp. Even though each page should have a stamp, I left an empty page next to each stamp I got in order to write there the place and date and a few impressions (I failed to write the impressions, oops).

Our Goshuincho red stamps book and Hokoku shrine in Osaka

The stamp office at Hokoku shrine in Osaka

The stamp and the calligraphy

Apart from the specific red stamp of the temple/shrine, the black calligraphy tells the place and date, the name of the shrine, and possibly other words like “worship”.

The most fascinating moments are always when the priest/monk/volunteer takes the brush, dips it in ink, and gracefully traces the lines of the calligraphy. Sometimes, different calligraphies are available, which provides for an even deeper feeling of uniqueness. I would wonder how many times every day these people draw the same calligraphy on hundreds of booklets, how many people gaze at them in wonder, trying to impress in their memory the zen calm of each movement. It is a truly wondrous show of Japanese dedication to their culture.

Check out our videos to see the monks while they make the stamp!

At Shitenno-ji, Osaka

Different stamps are available at Kofuku-ji, in Nara

At the main temple of Kofuku-ji, in Nara

At Nan'en-do, still inside Kofuku-ji, in Nara

Nan'en-do stamp and temple, Kofuku-ji, Nara

A young pada-wan at Todai-ji, in Nara

The stamp of the Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto.
After walking around the Golden Pavilion, the temple and the stamp office are on top of the hill.

The stamp of Fushimi-Inari taisha, at the temple at the start of the walk, in Kyoto

At Kiyomizu-dera, the terrace temple in Kyoto

At Meiji-Jingu shrine, the most important Shintoist shrine in Tokyo

Travel tips

- This is a place of worship: pay your respects and pray before collecting your stamps

- Have 300-500 YEN ready with you

- Open your book at the right page and hand it to the monk

- If you forgot your book, you may purchase a single page with the stamp already made on it

- Thank them: Arigato gozaimashita!

What is your favourite souvenir from Japan? Share it in the comments!

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