So, today let's shed some light on one tiny slice of Japanese culture: the usubata vase.

But her main purpose is getting a Goshuin, a stamp with elegant calligraphy that shrines provide for a fee to certify the visit. She loves the stamps, which she began collecting during the pandemic.

The retiree was even more shocked when the priest brought his face close to the goshuincho and carefully wrote kanji characters from top to bottom for the stamp. “I still feel nervous when I ...