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What is the difference between a temple and a shrine?

Shrines are built to serve the Shinto religious tradition and are characterized by a torii gate at the entrance. Temples are built to serve the Buddhist religious tradition and are characterized by a sanmon gate at the entrance.



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This Shinto ritual of clapping twice is the proper way to purify oneself of impurities, but there are some shrines with a long tradition of three or four claps rather than two.

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Other gestures are used elsewhere in the world but without having the same meaning. This is the case for the victory (or peace) sign: the two raised fingers making the V sign. This gesture became world famous after World War II, and can be seen in almost all casual Japanese photos.

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