Temizuya / Chozuya (Purification Fountain)
A water basin near the shrine entrance where visitors purify their hands and mouth
The temizuya (also called chozuya) is the water pavilion found near the entrance of Shinto shrines where visitors ritually cleanse their hands and mouth before proceeding to worship. This act of purification (temizu) is a simplified form of the broader Shinto concept of harae (purification) and symbolizes the cleansing of impurity before approaching the kami.
The proper sequence is as follows: take the ladle (hishaku) with your right hand and pour water over your left hand, then switch hands and rinse the right. Next, pour water into your cupped left palm and use it to rinse your mouth (not directly from the ladle). Finally, tilt the ladle so the remaining water runs down the handle, cleaning it for the next person.
During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, many shrines removed the shared ladles from their temizuya as a hygiene measure, replacing them with flowing water systems or sensor-activated fountains. Some shrines have embraced creative adaptations, such as filling the basin with seasonal flowers (hanachozu), turning the practical structure into a photogenic attraction.