In Japan, a shrine (jinja, 神社) is a place of worship in Shinto, the indigenous religion that honours kami (神) — sacred spirits tied to nature, ancestors, heroes, and remarkable places. Unlike a church or temple built mainly for sermons, a shrine is a living threshold between everyday life and the sacred: a grove, a gate, a hall, and open ground where people pause, bow, and leave offerings.
Shrines appear throughout daily life in Japan. Neighbours visit a local ujigami shrine for protection; students pray for exams at a Tenjin shrine; merchants favour Inari shrines; families buy omamori charms and draw omikuji fortune slips; and at New Year millions attend hatsumōde (初詣), the first shrine visit of the year. Festivals (matsuri), weddings, and seasonal rituals still centre on shrine communities, even when faith is quiet or personal.
Many shrine grounds also overlap with the world of folklore on this site. Fox messengers at Inari shrines connect to kitsune legends; thunder kami echo Raijin; boundary stones and sacred trees often appear in yōkai tales. Understanding shrines helps place those creatures in their real cultural setting — not only as story monsters, but as beings once approached with respect at the altar.
Search by name, prefecture, city, or shrine type below. Each listing notes enshrined kami, location, and a short description where available. Open a shrine page for maps, visitor notes, and links to official sites when we have them.
30,440 shrines found
Ame-no-Mikumari Shrine
Nara
Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami (water distribution deity)An ancient Shinto shrine in Nara dedicated to Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami, a deity responsible for the d...
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Hiranogawa Mikumari Shrine Upper Shrine
Nara
Mikumari-no-kami (water distribution deity)One of the ancient water distribution shrines located in the mountainous regions of Nara Prefecture....
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Mikumari Shrine
Nara
Water distribution deityMikumari Shrine is dedicated to water deities who control the distribution and flow of water for agr...
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Yoshino Mikumari Shrine
Nara
Mikumari-no-kami (water distribution deity)One of Japan's most important water deity shrines, located on sacred Mount Yoshino in Nara Prefectur...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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