Do you know how much money to give when you pray at a shrine in Japan? Read on to find out the standard good-luck and bad-luck amounts! ⛩️

Visiting a shrine on the first days of the year is the 初詣 “hatsumode” tradition in Japan, but how much money should you toss in the coin box? The amounts (お賽銭 osaisen) you should and should not donate are steeped in goroawase word-play, where Yen or 円 “en” as we say, is used as a homophone for “縁” / “en” or fortune. Here’s the skinny on the yen amount (○ is good, × is bad), and bilingual explanations:

Japan Shrine donation yen amounts and their meanings:
Status Yen Amount Japanese English
○ 5円 ご縁がありますように May you have “go-en”
× 10円 円から遠ざかる The “en” will be far away
○ 11円 いい縁がありますように May you have “ii en”
○ 15円 十分ご縁がありますように May you have “juubun” (enough) “go-en”
○ 25円 二重にご縁がありますように May you have “niju (double the) go-en”.
○ 45円 始終ご縁がありますように May you have neverending “go-en”
○ 50円 五重のご縁がありますように May you have “go-ju” 5x “go-en”
○ 55円 何時でもご縁がありますように May you have “go-en” anytime
× 65円 ろくなご縁がない You’ll have lousy luck
× 75円 泣くようなご縁にあう You’ll have luck that will make you cry
× 95円 苦しいようなご縁にあう You’ll have luck that will cause you strife
○ 100円 100の縁 May you have 100x the “en”
○ 115円 いいご縁がありますように May you have “ii” “go-en”
○ 125円 十二分のご縁がありますように May you have 12x the “go-en”
○ 415円 良いご縁がありますように May you have “yoi” “go-en”
○ 485円 四方八方からご縁がありますように May you have “go-en” from all directions
× 500円 これ以上大きな硬貨（効果）がない There’s nothing bigger than this coin (homonym for “effect”)
○ 2951円 福来い！ May luck “fuku” come “koi”

To wrap up, here’s a super quick guide on how to pray at a Japan shrine:

  1. Wait in line and step up to the coin box, when it’s your turn. If there are four hanging ropes and three people ahead of you, it’s ok to join them.
  2. Toss the coins into the saisen-bako (donation box).
  3. Shake the rope to call attention from the gods.
  4. Bow twice.
  5. Clap twice.
  6. Pray, saying your name and location, and if you have a specific ask.
  7. Bow once.
  8. Exit to the right or left depending on where things are in the shrine. Pilgrims often next go to buy an “omamori” good luck charm or “omikuji” good luck fortune.

Update:

Thanks to Toshiyuki Yoshida “Yostos” for kindly adding:

In addition to the amounts you’ve written, the following offering amounts are common in my area:

415 yen: Good relationships/connections (yo i go-en)

2951 yen: Good fortune comes (fu ku ko i)

5 yen and 50 yen coins are considered lucky offerings not only for their wordplay but also because they have holes in them, which is said to “let luck pass through”

It would also be good to have a ritual before going to the main shrine.

  • Bow once at the torii gate before entering the shrine grounds
  • Walk along the edge of the approach path to reach the chozuya (purification fountain), as the center is considered the path for the deities
  • At the chozuya, purify yourself in the order of left hand, mouth, and right hand, and finally purify the ladle you used