How to recognize Shrine from Temple?
May be it is only matter of Torii or not.
神仏習合・廃仏毀釈を考えると、神社と寺を区別しているのは鳥居だけかも知れません。

Yes, this is Torii. Somehow we write "where the birds are" in characters. Some say birds are symbol of good spirits and the characters should be read as it is, and others say it must have copied the sound of "toru" the "pass through." Nobody knows for sure.



お手水の使い方を間違っている人が多いので、いつもひやひやします。手を洗って、口を注ぎます。いきなり飲んだらダメですよ。
Then, the hand washer. Here is a tub filled with clean running water. You wash your hand and then clean your mouth before you proceed to the main building. "Clean" is a very important idea in the Shintoism. Going into the shrine means to carry small scale exorcism every time.



ここは「権現」だったので、門や本殿も少しお寺風です。 でも今は神社ですから、二拝二拍手一拝。
But great gate like this would confuse you. It is because there once was a time when Buddhism and Shintoism were merged together. Our Nezu(or Nedu) Shrine was one of them. It was called Gongen, which means Buddhist deity took the shape of Shinto Gods that people can understand Buddhism thorough Shintoism.


So, here, the main gate connected with walls and main building has a taste of temple. Since it is Shrine now (we have a history to tell, but next time) you must bow twice clap twice and bow once again.
大分から戻ってきたのに、ずっと氏子会に復帰するのを忘れていました。罰当たり。で、ようやく氏子料を納めて復帰してきました。根津神社は日本武尊の創祀で御祭神は素戔嗚尊なので、大変心強いのです。

But it is all history now. Because Shintoism god supposed to protect your town, I went to the office and paid this year's parishioner's fee. I got new plate saying "This house is protected by Nezu Shrine."

Got to put it at my door to chase bad spirits away. It must be very effective because the the Shrine was started by Yamato Takeru, a son of emperor and a mythological hero who fought with barbarians and the enshrined god is Susanoo, another mythological hero who defeated eight headed dragon.