A Small Thought at a Shrine②

At a shrine the other day, I noticed a line.
Not particularly long, but enough to make me wonder—what could it be for?
Curious, I followed it.
It was for Goshuin.
People stood quietly, each holding a book. When their turn came, a priest would write with remarkable skill—bold, flowing characters that seemed almost alive.
I found myself watching.
And then, at the very end, a stamp.
A simple mark, pressed firmly onto the page.
For a moment, I thought—
It reminds me of something.
But what?
…Ah.
A QR code, perhaps.
Not in appearance, of course. And yet, somehow, the feeling was similar.
A mark that holds something within it.
That made me think—
What if it really were one?
A QR code, made into a stamp.
Something that could be scanned, revealing more than what is seen.
The story of the shrine.
How it came to be.
The old tales passed down over time.
Perhaps even in video, so one could see and hear it, not just read.
That would be rather interesting.
So today, as usual, I made a note of it—
another small idea, written down without much fuss.
I suppose this is how I spend my days.
—Lady Sei Shonagon

💡 Tip: What is a Goshuin?
A Goshuin is a mark received at shrines and temples in Japan—part stamp, part calligraphy.
Each one is written by hand, so no two are ever quite the same.
Collected in a small book called a Goshuincho, they become a quiet record of one’s journey.