Preserve your shrine memories in style with these stamp books!

Village Vanguard is a store that is well known for selling all kinds of unique goods. Need a bright red and blue curry? Village Vanguard have got you covered. Is your exercise ball looking a little dull? Get a cover that looks like an animal. How about a face mask that looks like a bra? Look no further. With this in mind, the novelty goods store’s latest product seems quite out of place in comparison to the usual assortment of wacky items.

Goshuincho are books that are used to keep a record of temples or shrines that you visit throughout Japan. Upon visiting the temple/shrine and paying your respects, you can ask at the reception desk and, for a small fee (usually around 300 yen [US$2.78]), the priest/monk will fill in your book with seal stamps and calligraphy (goshuin). The practice is said to have originated for religious purposes as the book is said to be a symbol of your relationship with God/Buddha. These days, it’s become slightly more secular, with people regularly posting their goshuin collections on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAptYq4DKcj/

The goshuin that you can receive will vary depending on the temple/shrine that you visit, so it has become an increasingly popular hobby for people to go temple-hopping to collect them. You can even buy your goshuincho book at some temples, but these days you can get them at some stationery stores as well.

Village Vanguard’s goshuincho collection has a very traditional Japanese look mixed in with a retro feel. The designs come in a range of styles with a trendy motif on each of the books.

▼ The range features sleek wooden designs, with pastel colours behind the retro motifs.

The collection originally launched last year and were very popular. One of their newest additions is a kitty goshuincho, made from laser-cutting the pattern out of the wooden cover. Other designs include a purple laser-cut wooden cover, and a beautiful cherry blossom design.

While the intended purpose for these beautiful goshuincho books is to collect stamps from temples, fear not! You can use them for anything you want. But if you do decide to start your own goshuin collection, the Village Vanguard collection may be the perfect place to start. Having such a beautiful book will definitely make your visits to the temple much more fulfilling.

All the Village Vanguard goshuincho are B6 size, with 36 pages included. The cat design goshuincho costs 2,970 yen (US$28) and the other designs cost 3,330 yen (US$31). The goshuincho are exclusive to the Village Vanguard online store and are available for pre-order now. And if you’re looking for the perfect shrine to get your first-ever goshuin, the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki should definitely be on the top of your list.

Related: Village Vanguard online store
Source: PR Times
Images: PR Times
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