Temizu
Practices手水 ・ Reading: てみず
Definition
Temizu is the purification ritual of washing the hands and rinsing the mouth at the temizuya before praying. It cleanses the worshipper before approaching the kami or buddhas.
Why you cleanse
Temizu is the small act of purification you carry out before praying at a shrine or temple. In the Shinto view, physical cleansing also settles the heart, so you approach the kami with a clear mind. You will find the water basin, called a temizuya or chozuya, near the entrance, often a stone or wooden trough fed by a bamboo spout, sometimes with a dragon carved at the mouth.
How to do it
Take the ladle in your right hand and pour water over your left hand, then swap and rinse the right. Pour a little into your cupped left hand to rinse your mouth quietly, never touching the ladle to your lips and never drinking. Rinse the left hand once more, then tip the ladle upright so the last of the water runs down the handle you held, which cleans it for the next person. Set it back face down. One scoop is meant to cover all of this, so use the water sparingly.
What you might notice
Since the pandemic many shrines have removed the shared ladles, so you may simply rinse your hands under a flowing spout instead. Some basins are decorated seasonally with flowers, a display known as hanachozu, which has become popular to photograph. If you are new to visiting a Shinto shrine, temizu is one of the first steps you will take after passing through the entrance.
Common questions
- How do you perform temizu correctly?
To perform temizu, take the ladle in your right hand and rinse your left hand, then switch and rinse your right. Pour water into your left hand to rinse your mouth quietly, rinse the left hand again, and stand the ladle upright so the water runs down and cleans the handle. One scoop should cover the whole sequence, so use the water sparingly.
- Are you supposed to drink the water at the temizuya?
No, you do not drink the water at the temizuya. During temizu you only rinse your mouth from your cupped left hand and spit the water out quietly to the side, away from the basin, never touching your lips to the ladle or swallowing.
- What is the water basin for temizu called?
The water basin used for temizu is called a temizuya or chozuya. It usually stands near the shrine or temple entrance as a stone or wooden trough fed by a spout, sometimes shaped like a dragon.
Related articles
- How to Visit a Shinto ShrineMaster Shinto shrine etiquette: torii bow, temizuya cleansing, walk aside, offer coin, ring bell, 2 bows 2 claps 1 bow, avoid faux pas.
- The Water Purification RitualLearn temizu: the single-ladle ritual before shrines and temples, with steps, meaning, etiquette, modern updates, and where to try it.