これは何？

参拝（二拝二拍手一拝）Praying at a shrine (two bows, two claps, one bow)

At most shrines, visitors bow twice, clap twice, pray, and bow once more. Everyone is welcome to pray.

英語の本文を読む: English

知っておくと

• The basic sequence at most shrines today is two bows, two claps, one bow.
• The two-bows-two-claps rule for ordinary visitors is a postwar development; it began as a priests' protocol in the Meiji era and spread after the Association of Shinto Shrines recommended it.
• At Izumo Taisha, worshippers bow twice, clap four times and bow once.
• Ise's priestly style (hachidohai) uses eight claps.
• If there is a bell, visitors ring it gently before praying.
• There is no fixed amount for the offering; the act of reverence matters.
• Visitors bow at the torii and walk at the side of the approach, as the centre is for the kami.
• At Buddhist temples there is no clapping; people press their palms together (gasshō) and pray quietly.
• 伝 legend A 5-yen coin is popular because go-en sounds like a word for a connection.

出典

• Japan Tourism Agency multilingual DB: How to Pray (Meiji Jingu)
• Kokugakuin University, Encyclopedia of Shinto: Sanpai sahō (worship protocol)
• Izumo Ōyashiro official site: Precincts
• Kumano Taisha official site: Visiting Etiquette
• JNTO: Two bows and two claps — the ins and outs of Shinto shrines
• JNTO: Shrine & temple visits — best practices
• Nippon.com: Is There a 'Correct' Way to Pray at Temples and Shrines?