shuinchou

i've heard about the 朱印帳 shuinchou seal books and i would like to make my one for my next trip in japan. but i don't understand very well. can i buy it wherever, any sanctuary or buddhist temple? and how it works for the seals? there are specifics offices to get them? do you know where i can find beautiful books? there are many kinds... thanks a lot!

You can buy one such notebook/stampbook at "many" of the Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, but not all of them offer one. So when you want to start collecting the seals/stamps, be sure that the first one you go to have one that you like.

Usually you buy one book, and this is like a notebook (or a long sheet of paper folded) that you can take from one temple/shrine to another.

When you go to a shrine/temple, look for Shamusho 社務所 (their administrative office) or you might even find a sign with an arrow pointing to a location with the sign 朱印 (Shuin) or 御朱印 (Go-shuin for polite), as nowadays many people collect these stamps/seals.

Be ready with some small change, usually in the range of 300 yen to 500 yen. Some places make the seal/calligraphy right in front of you, some others take it to their back office (you get a number tag) and bring it out when it is ready and call out the number.

I would suggest one of the larger temples as your first stop so that you have a better choice of books, though many of them have at least one type. You go to the administration office to get the seal. A few hundred yen will get you a seal. Honestly, it is better and more personal to make one before you go.

If you're not picky about the look of the book you buy, then as previous posters have said, go to a large temple first. But if you want a specific book, or don't like the look of the book at the first place you might either get stuck with something you don't like, or have to skip the shuuin until you buy a book. I've seen some nice ones, and some... not so nice ones. I also don't like having the temple name displayed on the book but a lot do.

So I recommend looking up the books of each temple/shrine you want to go to online before you go, and heading to whichever place you want to buy the book at first. That way you get what you want! OR, a lot of big bookstores like Tsutaya also carry shuuin books before you go, and buying it from there. In fact, I saw a really cute one with plum blossoms just this past weekend, which was 2000 yen and included a nice cover! I would have bought it if I didn't already have 2 I need to fill up...

If you look up the kanji for each place and goshuuin in google images you should be able to see what each look like.