One of my favorite hobbies I¡¯ve picked up in Japan is ÓùÖìÓ¡¼¯¤á (go-shuin atsume, collecting seal stamps). ÓùÖìÓ¡ (Go-shuin) are the red-ink stamps that you can get at ÉñÉç (jinja, shrines) or ¤ªË (o-tera, temples) that signify you have visited that place of worship.
These stamps have the name of the shrine or temple as well as the date you visited written on them in elegant calligraphy. Collecting ÓùÖìÓ¡ has often served as the impetus for me to visit and explore areas of Japan I would normally not get off the train at. And I¡¯m not alone: Collecting ÓùÖìÓ¡ has recently become quite popular and led to the coining of the term ÓùÖìÓ¡Å®×Ó (go-shuin joshi), or ¡°go-shuin ²µ¾±°ù±ô.¡±
Of course, this hobby isn¡¯t limited to girls. If you want to get started with ÓùÖìÓ¡¼¯¤á, the first thing you¡¯ll need is a ÓùÖìÓ¡Ž¤ (go-shuin ch¨, a stamp book). This will be where the stamps go and can be purchased at most major shrines or temples for roughly ?1,500.
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