temple door senjafuda 千社札 (nara, japan)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 10 January 2009 in Lifestyle & Culture.

Literally, senjafuda (千社札), "thousand-shrine-emblem", are a small paper label printed with such information as one's name, the date, and place of origin. Pilgrims will often affix these labels to the door, pillar, or ceiling of a temple or shrine, always striving to place it as high as possible as a matter of pride. Over time, this rather religious custom has faded to become something of a hobby popular with older people.
Around Asakusa and a few other old-quarter towns (and even, I believe, at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara) you can find specialized vending machines which you can use to create your very own senjafuda.

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