柏 手(かしわで)

かしわで

noun

ritual clapping at a Shinto shrine

1. ritual hand-clapping (at a Shinto shrine)

The ceremonial clapping performed when worshipping at a Shinto shrine, typically two claps with the palms slightly offset to produce a clear, resonant sound that calls the attention of the 神(かみ).

神社(じんじゃ)で柏手(かしわで)を打(う)った。

I clapped my hands ritually at the shrine.

二礼(にれい)二(に)拍手(はくしゅ)一礼(いちれい)と言(い)って、柏手(かしわで)を二回(にかい)打(う)つ。

It's called "two bows, two claps, one bow," and you clap your hands twice.

出雲大社(いずもたいしゃ)では、他(ほか)の神社(じんじゃ)と違(ちが)って柏手(かしわで)を四回(よんかい)打(う)つのが習(なら)わしだ。

At Izumo Taisha, unlike other shrines, the custom is to clap four times.

The kanji 柏(かしわ) (oak) is used here for historical phonetic reasons rather than meaning. Sometimes written in hiragana as かしわで.

Common collocations

柏手(かしわで)を打(う)つ: to clap ritually (the standard verb is 打(う)つ, not the everyday 叩(たた)く)
柏手(かしわで)の音(おと): the sound of ritual clapping
二(に)拍手(はくしゅ): two claps (modern term for the same act)

Cultural note

The standard pattern at most Shinto shrines is 二礼(にれい)二(に)拍手(はくしゅ)一礼(いちれい): bow twice, clap twice, bow once. The right hand is positioned slightly lower than the left to produce a clearer sound. 出雲大社(いずもたいしゃ) and 宇佐神宮(うさじんぐう) use four claps instead of two.

Similar words

拍手(はくしゅ): applause; also used in the formal expression 二拍手(にはくしゅ) for ritual clapping
手(て)を合(あ)わせる: to put one's hands together — the gesture used at Buddhist temples instead of clapping

Related Words

Compare: 拍手(はくしゅ) (applause)

general

Added 2026.5.28 12:07 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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