Title: MiniCore Japanese-EN / Booster: Shrines & Temples
Tags: MinicoreJapanese-EN booster-shrines sentence vocab dialog-line recognition dialog

MinicoreJapanese: Jinja wa doko desu ka.
Native: 神社はどこですか。
English: Where is the shrine?
Literal: shrine [topic] where is ?
Notes: jinja — a Shinto shrine: torii gate, vermilion paint, claps. Lesson 4's doko frame finds it down any side street.

MinicoreJapanese: Otera wa tooi desu ka.
Native: お寺は遠いですか。
English: Is the temple far?
Literal: temple [topic] far is ?
Notes: otera — a Buddhist temple: incense, statues, silence instead of claps. Knowing which of the two you're standing in decides how you pray (see below).

MinicoreJapanese: Are wa torii desu ka.
Native: あれは鳥居ですか。
English: Is that a torii? (pointing)
Literal: that [topic] torii is ?
Notes: torii — the gate itself, the border between street and sacred. Lesson 2's pointing frame, harvesting the landscape. Bow once as you pass through — and walk the edge of the path; the center lane belongs to the resident god.

MinicoreJapanese: Haikanryou wa ikura desu ka.
Native: 拝観料はいくらですか。
English: How much is admission? (at a temple)
Literal: viewing-fee [topic] how-much is ?
Notes: haikanryou — the temple viewing fee. Shrines are almost always free; famous temples charge a few hundred yen at a little window, and this is the word on the sign above it.

MinicoreJapanese: Niwa wa arimasu ka.
Native: 庭はありますか。
English: Is there a garden?
Literal: garden [topic] exists ?
Notes: niwa — garden. The raked-gravel kind is often the best thing behind the temple's fee window; ask, and budget more time than you think.

MinicoreJapanese: Temizuya wa doko desu ka.
Native: てみずやはどこですか。
English: Where is the purification fountain?
Literal: purification-fountain [topic] where is ?
Notes: temizuya — the water pavilion near the entrance, ladles waiting. Stop here first; the how-to lives in the behavior notes below, and doing it correctly earns quiet approving nods.

MinicoreJapanese: Saisen-bako wa doko desu ka.
Native: さいせんばこはどこですか。
English: Where is the offering box?
Literal: offering-box [topic] where is ?
Notes: saisen-bako — the slatted offering box in front of the hall. Any coin works, but the 5-yen coin is the classic: go-en sounds exactly like the word for "good fortune / good connection" — a pun you can now say entirely with Lesson 3's numbers (go en desu — it's five yen).

MinicoreJapanese: Kane, ii desu ka.
Native: 鐘、いいですか。
English: May I (ring) the bell?
Literal: bell, good is ?
Notes: kane — the temple bell. Some temples invite visitors to ring it, some absolutely don't — Lesson 7's permission frame settles it in two words. (If yes: ring before you pray, never after.)

MinicoreJapanese: Senkou, onegaishimasu.
Native: 線香、お願いします。
English: Incense, please. (buying a bundle)
Literal: incense, please
Notes: senkou — incense sticks, sold for a coin at big temples. Light them, stand them in the burner, and waft a little smoke toward whatever part of you needs fixing — that's the local custom, and everyone does it.

MinicoreJapanese: Omikuji wa ikura desu ka.
Native: おみくじはいくらですか。
English: How much is a fortune slip?
Literal: fortune-slip [topic] how-much is ?
Notes: omikuji — the paper fortune, usually a coin in a box and a drawer or a shaken cylinder. Drew a bad one? Don't pocket it — tie it to the rack of knotted papers by the office and the bad luck stays behind. A good one rides home in your wallet.

MinicoreJapanese: Eigo no omikuji wa arimasu ka.
Native: 英語のおみくじはありますか。
English: Do you have English fortune slips?
Literal: English of fortune-slip [topic] exists ?
Notes: Lesson 2's no snaps eigo onto anything — and big shrines really do stock English fortunes. Worth asking before you puzzle over classical Japanese verse.

MinicoreJapanese: Omamori o hitotsu kudasai.
Native: お守りをひとつください。
English: One protective charm, please.
Literal: charm [obj] one give-me
Notes: omamori — the brocade charm: traffic safety, exams, love, health, each labeled. Lesson 2's kudasai with Lesson 3's hitotsu. Don't open it — the magic is famously non-refundable once unsealed.

MinicoreJapanese: Ema, onegaishimasu.
Native: 絵馬、お願いします。
English: A wish plaque, please.
Literal: wish-plaque, please
Notes: ema — the small wooden plaque. Write your wish on the back — any language works; the gods read English — and hang it on the rack with hundreds of others. Reading strangers' wishes is allowed and quietly wonderful.

MinicoreJapanese: Goshuin, onegaishimasu.
Native: 御朱印、お願いします。
English: A goshuin (shrine stamp), please.
Literal: shrine-stamp, please
Notes: goshuin — the calligraphed red-and-black stamp each shrine and temple inscribes by hand, dated, for a few hundred yen. Say exactly this at the office window; it's the standard phrase, word for word.

MinicoreJapanese: Goshuin-chou wa arimasu ka.
Native: 御朱印帳はありますか。
English: Do you have stamp books?
Literal: stamp-book [topic] exists ?
Notes: goshuin-chou — the accordion-fold book the stamps go in, sold at the same window. Buy one at your first shrine and the rest of the trip fills it — the single best souvenir-per-yen in Japan.

MinicoreJapanese: Shashin, ii desu ka.
Native: 写真、いいですか。
English: May I take a photo?
Literal: photo, good is ?
Notes: shashin — photo. The permission frame, pointed at a camera. Grounds are almost always fine; inside halls, of people, of ceremonies — ask first, every time. A chotto… means no; smile and lower the phone.

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Shashin, onegaishimasu.
Native: すみません。写真、お願いします。
English: Excuse me — a photo, please. (handing over your phone)
Literal: excuse-me. photo, please
Notes: The other direction: hand your phone to a stranger and this asks them to take your picture in front of the gate. Offer to reciprocate with a gesture — it needs no words at all.

MinicoreJapanese: jinja
Native: 神社
English: Shinto shrine
Notes: *Jinja wa doko desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: otera
Native: お寺
English: Buddhist temple
Notes: claps at shrines, silence here

MinicoreJapanese: torii
Native: 鳥居
English: shrine gate
Notes: bow once, walk the edge

MinicoreJapanese: temizuya
Native: てみずや
English: purification fountain
Notes: wash first — never drink

MinicoreJapanese: saisen-bako
Native: さいせんばこ
English: offering box
Notes: the 5-yen *go-en* pun coin

MinicoreJapanese: kane
Native: 鐘
English: temple bell
Notes: *Kane, ii desu ka.* — before praying

MinicoreJapanese: senkou
Native: 線香
English: incense
Notes: waft the smoke toward yourself

MinicoreJapanese: omikuji
Native: おみくじ
English: paper fortune
Notes: bad one? tie it, leave it

MinicoreJapanese: omamori
Native: お守り
English: protective charm
Notes: never open it

MinicoreJapanese: ema
Native: 絵馬
English: wish plaque
Notes: write in any language

MinicoreJapanese: goshuin
Native: 御朱印
English: shrine/temple stamp
Notes: *Goshuin, onegaishimasu.*

MinicoreJapanese: goshuin-chou
Native: 御朱印帳
English: stamp book
Notes: buy at the first shrine

MinicoreJapanese: shashin
Native: 写真
English: photo
Notes: ask first, every time

MinicoreJapanese: niwa
Native: 庭
English: garden
Notes: often behind the fee window

MinicoreJapanese: haikanryou
Native: 拝観料
English: temple admission fee
Notes: shrines: usually free

MinicoreJapanese: Satsuei wa go-enryo kudasai.
Native: 撮影はご遠慮ください。
English: no photography (here)
Notes: camera away, no argument

MinicoreJapanese: Kutsu o nuide kudasai.
Native: 靴を脱いでください。
English: shoes off
Notes: find the shelf at the doorway

MinicoreJapanese: At the shrine office
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Goshuin, onegaishimasu.
Excuse me — a goshuin, please.
[excuse-me. shrine-stamp, please]
Attendant: Hai. Goshuin-chou wa arimasu ka.
Certainly. Do you have a stamp book?
[yes. stamp-book [topic] exists ?]
Traveler: Hai, douzo.
Yes — here you are.
[yes, here-you-are]
Attendant: Shou-shou omachi kudasai.
One moment, please. (the L5 wait phrase — you know this one)
[a-little wait-please (polite)]
Attendant: Hai, douzo. Go-hyaku en desu.
Here you are. That's 500 yen.
[here-you-are. five-hundred yen is]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Shashin, ii desu ka.
Excuse me — may I take a photo? (of the office's calligrapher at work)
[excuse-me. photo, good is ?]
Attendant: Hai, daijoubu desu yo.
Yes, that's fine.
[yes, fine is [yo]]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.
[thank you (full polite form)]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Goshuin, onegaishimasu.
Native: すみません。御朱印、お願いします。
English: Excuse me — a goshuin, please.
Literal: excuse-me. shrine-stamp, please

MinicoreJapanese: Hai. Goshuin-chou wa arimasu ka.
Native: はい。御朱印帳はありますか。
English: Certainly. Do you have a stamp book?
Literal: yes. stamp-book [topic] exists ?

MinicoreJapanese: Hai, douzo. Go-hyaku en desu.
Native: はい、どうぞ。五百円です。
English: Here you are. That's 500 yen.
Literal: here-you-are. five-hundred yen is

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Shashin, ii desu ka.
Native: すみません。写真、いいですか。
English: Excuse me — may I take a photo? (of the office's calligrapher at work)
Literal: excuse-me. photo, good is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Hai, daijoubu desu yo.
Native: はい、大丈夫ですよ。
English: Yes, that's fine.
Literal: yes, fine is [yo]

MinicoreJapanese: Shrine and temple signs
Notes: Staff: Satsuei wa go-enryo kudasai.
Please refrain from photography. → the inside-the-hall no-photo rule
[photography [topic] refrain-please (polite)]
Staff: Kutsu o nuide kudasai.
Please take off your shoes. → the temple-hall doorway; look for the shelf
[shoes [obj] remove-please]