The first shrine my group visited had the torii gate plus a circular fixture in the center of the stairway. Here, visitors needed to complete a series of figure eights and bows through and around the fixture to cleanse themselves of negative energy. Only after completing this ritual could you enter through the center of the gate. When exiting shrines, you must leave on the side of the gate, not the middle (the middle is supposed to represent the way to god). At temples, the process is a bit simpler. Most require a simple bow at the entrance, but you continue to purify yourself as you continue inside.
More traditions involving purification include the cleansing fountain and smudging. The cleansing fountain is a beautiful basin of flowing with water that has multiple scooping ladles. At these fountains, you rinse your hands, mouth, and the ladle to complete an external cleansing of your body. Smudging is a ritual that involves lighting herbs or incense and gently waving the smoke around your body or room. This is done to ward off evil spirits and negative energy.
One final tradition I'll mention revolves around prayer. Each shrine and temple has a section devoted to making prayer requests or showing respect. When you get to this area, you take a coin as an offering, toss it into the coin basin and make a wish. You then follow this gesture with a series of bows and claps. In a Shinto shrine, this is done to gain the attention of the deity that governs the shrine so they can answer your request. Depending on where you go, the series of bows and claps could differ.
