Shuin

A shuin(朱印) is a seal stamp given to worshippers and visitors to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. The seal stamps are often collected in books called shuinchō(朱印帳) that are sold at shrines and temples.

The stamps are different from commemorative stamps in that they are made by people who work at the temples: Buddhist monks, or Shinto kannushi. To create the shuin, the writer presses down one or more large stamps, and then uses black ink to write, in his distinctive calligraphy, the name of the temple, the day of the visit, and other messages on and around the stamped portions.