Japanese Goshuin

Introduction

"Isn't goshuin basically just a stamp rally?"

Say this, and there's a decent chance you'll get scolded. "It's a proof of connection with the divine," they'll say. "A solemn record of pilgrimage." Absolutely not a stamp rally.

In this article, I examine how fragile this "denial" actually is, and argue that acknowledging goshuin as a stamp rally is, in fact, the healthiest way to engage with this culture.

Even Historically, It's Been a Continuous Process of "Formalization"

The origins of goshuin (御朱印, literally "vermilion seal") date back to the Heian period. At that time, pilgrims would offer hand-copied sutras (shakyo) to temples and receive a "nokyo-in" (納経印) as proof of acceptance¹. Life-threatening pilgrimages and the immense labor of copying scriptures—there was genuine substance to this as a "sacred religious act."

But during the Edo period, as the number of pilgrims exploded, it became physically impossible for each person to prepare their own copied sutras and for monks to receive and pray over each one. The result was a simplification: "Even without submitting copied sutras, if you visit and recite prayers (or pay money), you can receive a nokyo-in"².

In other words, the "stamp rally-ification" is not a modern degradation. It has been underway for centuries.

Moreover, during the Edo period, the nokyo-cho (pilgrimage book) also functioned as a "travel permit" for passing through checkpoints³. For commoners, pilgrimage was simultaneously an act of faith, a means of obtaining freedom of movement, and a form of entertainment travel. Solemnity and amusement were inseparably intertwined from the very beginning.

The Logical Fragility of "Stamp Rally Denial"

When "purists" deny that goshuin has become a stamp rally, their arguments typically fall into three categories:

1. "A stamp rally is play, but goshuin is faith"
2. "A stamp rally doesn't require worship, but goshuin requires it"
3. "A goshuin-cho is a manifestation of the divine—it's different from a notebook"

However, these statements describe "how things should be" (the normative), not "how things actually are" (the descriptive).

Let's look at reality. Many visitors walk right past the offering box, collect their goshuin, and leave. Long lines form on limited-edition release days. On Mercari (a Japanese resale app), goshuin from Meiji Shrine dated "May 1, Reiwa 1" (the first day of the new imperial era) have sold for tens of thousands of yen⁴.

The angry outcry of "Don't treat this like a stamp rally!" paradoxically proves that stamp rally-ification is indeed occurring.

The Inconvenient Truth of Structural Identity

Let's compare the behavioral processes of goshuin collecting and stamp rallies.

Stage	Goshuin Collecting	Stamp Rally
Preparation	Purchase goshuin-cho	Obtain stamp booklet
Movement	Travel to designated shrines/temples	Travel to designated spots
Arrival confirmation	Worship, take photos	Check in, GPS verification
Acquisition	Pay hatsuho-ryo (offering), receive goshuin	Stamp the booklet
Collection	Accumulated in the book	Accumulated in the booklet
Completion	Mangun (completing all sacred sites)	Completion

In terms of behavioral algorithm, there is no essential difference between the two. Especially when numbers are assigned and routes are set—like the "Thirty-Three Kannon Sites" or "Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites"—it is quite literally a designed stamp rally⁵.

The Emergence of the "Go-○-in" Universe

What's even more interesting is how the goshuin format has spread beyond religious boundaries.

• Gojo-in (御城印): Castle visit commemorative seals
• Gosho-in (御翔印): "Sky goshuin" sold by JAL at airports
• Gosen-in (御船印): Ferry and cruise ship boarding commemoratives
• Tetsuin (鉄印): Sold at local railway stations

These are clearly "upgraded versions of tourist stamp rallies"⁶. Consumers accept shrine goshuin and airport gosho-in equally as part of the same "travel collection."

In this context, attempting to distinguish the original goshuin as "not a stamp rally" is functionally and phenomenologically nearly impossible.

We Shouldn't Force Sacredness onto Things That Have Lost Their Meaning

Having laid out these arguments, let me clarify my position.

Goshuin "is" a stamp rally. And that's fine.

There's no need to forcibly attach sacred meaning to things whose meaning has become formalized. Ultimately, individuals should decide for themselves whether to collect or not, and anything should be permissible as long as it doesn't disturb others' worship or force beliefs on anyone.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say it might be better to have no "meaning" at all.

Shinto and the Acceptance of "Non-Language"

To put it more precisely, we don't need reasons that can be articulated.

What is Shinto, anyway? In my understanding, it is an attitude of accepting "things that cannot be put into words" and "things beyond our control" without putting them into words.

Seeing divinity in mountains. Seeing divinity in rivers. Wrapping a sacred rope around an ancient tree. Why do we do this? "Because somehow, it feels like there's something there." No further articulation is required. Doctrine and scripture are, essentially, unnecessary⁷.

This attitude of "not putting things into words" and the attempt to fix definitions—"Goshuin is proof of connection with the divine, a solemn record of pilgrimage..."—are actually incompatible, aren't they?

"Vague" Is Wholesome

After going around in circles, I've come to think this:

"Because it looks kind of cool."
"Because it's kind of stylish."
"Because it's kind of cute."

—These vague motivations for collecting goshuin feel like the healthiest approach.

The moment you articulate "to form a connection with the divine," you become bound by that definition. The moment you deny "it's not a stamp rally," you create a reality that must be denied.

But "because it somehow feels good" has no constraints. There's nothing to deny. There's only the sensation of "somehow this feels good" that you felt in that moment.

Isn't that essentially the same as the simple feeling of looking at a mountain and thinking, "Somehow, this feels sacred"?

Conclusion: The Freedom of Not Defining

Goshuin is a stamp rally. Historically, structurally, economically.

And having acknowledged that, everyone can enjoy it however they like. Those who want to treat it solemnly as "proof of faith" can do so, and those who want to casually collect it as "travel souvenirs" can do so too. Both are correct, and neither is wrong.

The only important thing is not denying how others enjoy it.

Perhaps the very act of trying to define "what goshuin is" is already gauche. Accepting the ineffable without putting it into words—that attitude might actually be the most Shinto-like of all.

However,

Having written that "meaning is unnecessary," I'd like to add one thing.

Because the "ritual" of goshuin exists, people visit shrines and temples. By visiting, they touch the atmosphere of the place. They put their hands together. They walk through the grounds.

Even if the reason is "because it's kind of cute," the result is that time is created standing before the divine. In that time, you might feel something—or you might not.

But the mere fact that this "might" remains open seems to hold meaning in itself.

Though I can't put it into words.

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References