I will be visiting Japan for my first over-seas trip now that I'm not broke anymore. My partner and I will visit Tokyo for a good chunk of the trip but my request was to spend some time in some rural areas (mountains, forests, beaches).

There's no buddhist monastaries in the areas we will visit but there's plenty of Shinto Shrines. I have a pretty secular mindset but plenty of respect for traditions and some direct experiences with energetic phenomena; some of which are now as real to me as being punched in the face. Though I am not inclined to commit to any particular ontological frame, those experiences have prompted me to relax some previously hard-line opinions on some things; particularly environmental influences.

Not really asking for instructions on rituals one does visiting the shrine (I will look that up), but curious about if people have some general suggestions. Let's say you are either sensitive or open to energetic/karmic/archetypal/whatever stuff and you were visiting somewhere which has been a focal point of that kind of thing for hundreds or thousands of years. What would you do? What would you not do?

So far I plan to do my usual thing of spreading positive regard and leading into equinimity, light-mid jhana whatever.
 

This seems obvious to me, but I would:

Be silent unless invited to speak
Not touch anything unless given permission
Stay out out of places/rooms I'm not invited into
Pay attention to any signs, posters or written instructions
Ask what the rules are that apply
Respect the values of the place and the people in it

Details:

How to Behave in Japanese Shrines and Temples

Thanks Chris, that helps.

Okay, here's the plan. Rent a motorcycle. Something big and noisy. Then drink exactly 11 bottles of saki or soju and drive the bike up to the temple or shrine (it's best for the visual if the place is on a hill you can drive up). When you get there, light up a cigarette and belch loudly. Then push your way to the front door. Remember to bow politely to everyone you bump into. 

Oops... I thought your title said HOW TO be an idiot at a temple or shrine. Disregard my post. 

I would consider myself sensitive. I've described my experiences here:
https://sites.google.com/site/chs4o8pt/psi_experience
https://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-it-like-to-communicate-with.html
https://sites.google.com/site/chs4o8pt/spiritual_healing
When I was working on a certification in Spiritual Healing, I collected seven affidavits of healing from people who benefited from energy healing treatments I gave.

My suggestion, when you go to a "focal point" is to find a quiet place where it is okay to meditate and then first ask for protection (the last link above gives an example of how to do that) and then open your "sensitive" senses and see what develops.

If you do this, one thing that can happen is that you tune into the history of the site. You might have visions or feelings about the past.

If you are looking for energy, you could try visualizing drawing it in, look for information about qi gong if you want info on how to do that. I was taught to draw it from the spiritual realms (again see the last link above), in qi gong they draw it from the physical world.

If you are looking for contact with entities, try to give off good vibes and invite them to make contact - like attracts like - if your intention is to do it for the beneift of others that is the type of entity you will attract - entities that can help you, if you do it because you think it is an amusing joke that is the type of entity you will attract. My advice is not to joke around. And if you do it for selfish or evil purposes that is the type of entity you will attract and they will not be doing anything for your benefit but for their own selfish purposes.

 Thanks for the links and suggestions.

I don't have any particular goal beyond just meditating and dropping into deep stillness/concentration if it happens that way. But I have had some weird experiences that I did not intend for happen during and post meditation, so I try to be a bit more ahead of the curve. That's actually the main reason I read Daniel Ingram's book and joined this forum.

The area where the shrine is happens to be rural and mountainous like where I grew up. I could see myself dropping into some very deep states of concentration there; which is usually when the weird starts these days (if it is going to happen).

I don't have a particular ontological frame for these sorts of things, but the closest thing to entities I have experienced was actors in some lucid dreams which were antagonistic and had as much or more control over the dreams than I did. Those only occured when I did lucid dreaming 15 years ago, and more recently after doing a bit of Fire Kasina meditation incidentally. 

"Then drink exactly 11 bottles of saki or soju" 

​​​​​​​Can I come with?!  

Depends... can you ride a motorcycle?

Also make sure to have visible tattoos. 

jkjk

I lived in Japan for many years and married into a Japanese family. Shrines are there for good luck and wish-granting rituals. A Japanese person visiting a shrine may feel some sense of presence of animistic gods, in the same sort of way that a European might visiting a quiet forest or a historical site, such a ruin. The focus, however, is almost always on simple enjoyment of the architecture, statues, and such, coupled with the enjoyment of respectful ritual and the chance for good luck and/or making wishes. Nobody meditates at a shrine. People would think it odd if you were obviously meditating there. 

If you dig around a bit, you will be able to find Buddhist temples anywhere in Japan. They are everywhere, as they are an important part of family life, especially for funerals and honoring people who have died. Most Japanese people, however, do not meditate, so it would not be super easy to drop in for a quick sit and the temples generally are not set up for a meditating public. That said, Zen temples are quite common, and people do meditate there. If you feel like meditating in public, that is your best bet. 

The short version is, have fun at the shrine, make some wishes and soak up the atmosphere. Separately, for meditation, in the coutryside find a nice park with benches, or find a seat at the foot of a tree or on a rock by a river. In a city, find a Zen temple.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I'll be in several rural areas so maybe I'll do my meditation there instead of planning to do much at the shrines.