How to visit a temple
At a temple, worship centres on pressing your palms together in quiet prayer. Each temple's halls, reception and activities differ, so the examples below follow the official sites of Kiyomizu-dera, Chion-in and Kennin-ji — and the notice on site always wins.
Offering incense
Buy incense at the main hall — at Kiyomizu-dera it is ten yen a stick. Hold it in your right hand, light it from the candle, and fan the flame out with your left hand rather than blowing on it, then stand it in the burner. Where the burner is and what the rules are differ by temple, so follow the notice on site.
At the main hall
Stand at the centre of the main hall, facing the image, bow, place a coin in the box, and press your palms together in silent prayer. Unlike at a shrine, there is no clapping. At Kiyomizu-dera, visitors go up as far as the outer sanctuary, and worship is done there.
Halls and reception
Opening and reception hours differ by temple: Chion-in opens at 6 a.m., with reception at each spot from 9 a.m. Gardens charge separately — check each temple's notice for the fee and hours. No photography or recording inside the halls, and the grounds are entirely non-smoking, with no open flame.
Goshuin
A goshuin is a record of your visit, received at the goshuin office. At Chion-in the office sits beside the Amida Hall, one goshuin is 500 yen, and they do not post them. Kinds, fees and hours differ by temple, so check the notice on site.
Sutra copying
For sutra copying, Kennin-ji runs sessions on weekdays only, about an hour each, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, for ten people on a first-come basis. The 3,000 yen fee includes a goshuin, and no reservations are taken; children of elementary age and below cannot join, and junior-high students need a guardian. Arrangements differ by temple, so check the official site first.
Sources：清水寺 お参りの作法と手順（公式） ↗知恩院 拝観情報（公式） ↗知恩院 御朱印（公式） ↗建仁寺 建仁寺の体験（公式） ↗