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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mari Yamaguchi

In secular Japan, what draws so many to temples and shrines? Stamp collecting and tradition

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Almost weekly Momo Nomura makes time to visit Shinto shrines. She performs the prescribed rituals — cleansing her hands, ringing a bell, bowing and clapping. But her main purpose is getting a Goshuin, a stamp with elegant calligraphy that shrines provide for a fee to certify the visit.

She loves the stamps, which she began collecting during the pandemic. One with blue hydrangeas got her started.

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