Virtual Worship Offers Visuals and Wit

I wish I could take credit for discovering the Air Sampai website, but that honour goes to asahi.com. When I first read about how the site offers people a chance to "air worship" in front of a Kyoto shrine, I was skeptical. Upon visiting the site, my skepticism was replaced by enjoyment as I received a tutorial on Air Worshipping, before proceeding to a virtual tour of Fushimi Inari shrine. The photographs are high resolution wide screen wonders that gradually pull you along the path to the shrine's Honden (main building). Interactive features include an opportunity to wash your hands and mouth before entering the shrine (when the pictures seamlessly transition to video) and a chance to make a virtual donation. Whether you select 500 or 50 yen, the right coin appears in your virtual hand before being cast into the donation box. The English subtitles offer witty encouragement, suggesting that "you can't deny that the more you pay, the cooler you are."

So far, only two locations are featured on the site, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple, but it looks like more will be added soon. I can think of no better way to learn proper etiquette before visiting while enjoying an absorbing visual tour.

Here's the original Asahi Shimbun article. Click it before it's too late, because they don't archive their articles for long.