Japan Travel Fixes
What's the difference between a shrine and a temple?
A shrine (jinja) is a Shinto site marked by a torii gate, dedicated to Shinto deities. A temple (tera/-ji) is a Buddhist site with Buddhist statues and resident monks. The easiest tell is whether there's a torii gate at the entrance.
At a shrine, the standard worship etiquette is "two bows, two claps, one bow." At a temple, you don't clap — you press your palms together quietly instead. That's the biggest practical difference.
Shrines have Shinto priests, temples have Buddhist monks — they're two separate religious traditions with different roles, and knowing that makes it easier to pick the right etiquette on the spot.