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
Shimotsuura Suwa Shrine
Kumamoto
Takeminakata-no-MikotoA local Suwa shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to the warrior deity Takeminakata-no-Mikoto. As...
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Sukawa Nangu Suwa Shrine
Fukushima
Takeminakata-no-KamiA local Suwa shrine in Fukushima Prefecture that enshrines the war deity Takeminakata-no-Kami. As pa...
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Suwa Grand Shrine
Kanagawa
Takeminakata-no-MikotoA Suwa shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, the principal deity of the...
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Suwa Nanpo Shrine
Kagoshima
Takeminakata-no-kamiA Suwa shrine in Kagoshima Prefecture that enshrines the deities of the main Suwa Taisha network. Li...
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Suwa Shrine
Fukushima
Takeminakata-no-MikotoA Suwa shrine in Fukushima Prefecture dedicated to the warrior deity Takeminakata-no-Mikoto. Suwa sh...
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Suwa Shrine
Kumamoto
Takeminakata-no-mikotoA Suwa shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Takeminakata-no-mikoto, the deity of war, hunting,...
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Suwa Shrine
Nara
Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture is a local branch of the Suwa shrine network, dedicated to the warrio...
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Suwa Shrine
Gifu
Takeminakata-no-KamiSuwa Shrine is a local branch shrine dedicated to the kami of Suwa Taisha, one of Japan's oldest shr...
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Suwa Shrine
Gifu
Takeminakata-no-mikotoA branch shrine of the famous Suwa Taisha network, dedicated to the warrior deity Takeminakata-no-mi...
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Suwa Shrine
Gifu
Takeminakata-no-kamiA branch shrine of the famous Suwa Taisha in Nagano Prefecture, dedicated to the warrior deity Takem...
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Suwa Shrine
Gifu
Takeminakata-no-MikotoA Suwa shrine dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, the deity of hunting, warfare, and wind. Suwa shr...
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Suwa Shrine
Kagoshima
Takeminakata-no-kamiA Suwa shrine in Kagoshima Prefecture dedicated to the warrior deity Takeminakata-no-kami. Suwa shri...
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Suwa Shrine
Fukushima
Takeminakata-no-KamiA Suwa shrine in Fukushima Prefecture dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Kami, the deity of wind, water, a...
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Suwa Shrine
Kumamoto
Takeminakata-no-mikotoSuwa Shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture is dedicated to Takeminakata-no-mikoto, the Shinto deity of wind,...
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Suwa Shrine
Fukushima
Takeminakata-no-KamiA Suwa shrine in Fukushima Prefecture dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Kami, the Shinto deity of wind, w...
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Suwa Shrine
Fukushima
Takeminakata-no-MikotoSuwa Shrine in Fukushima Prefecture is a local branch of the Suwa faith, which originated from the f...
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Suwa Shrine
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Takeminakata-no-mikotoSuwa Shrine is dedicated to Takeminakata-no-mikoto, a powerful kami associated with wind, water, and...
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Suwa Shrine
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Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine is part of the extensive network of shrines dedicated to the Suwa deities, with the head...
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Suwa Shrine
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Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine is one of many shrines throughout Japan dedicated to Takeminakata-no-kami, the Shinto de...
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Suwa Shrine
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Takeminakata-no-MikotoSuwa shrines are dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, a powerful deity of hunting, warfare, and wind...
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Suwa Shrine
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Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine is dedicated to Takeminakata-no-kami, a powerful deity associated with wind, water, and...
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Suwa Shrine
Kanagawa
Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Takeminakata-no-kami, the deity of wind, water, and hunt...
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Suwa Shrine
Kanagawa
Takeminakata-no-MikotoSuwa Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, a deity associated with wind, wa...
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Suwa Shrine
Kanagawa
Takeminakata-no-MikotoSuwa Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, a deity associated with wind, wa...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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