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
Asuka Shrine
Nara
Kumano deitiesAsuka Shrine is one of the three main Kumano shrines located in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture. As part...
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Kaminandahara Kumano Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA local Kumano shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture that enshrines the deities of the Kumano Sanzan, the th...
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Kanou Oji Shrine
Wakayama
Kumano deitiesKanou Oji is one of the subsidiary shrines (oji) along the sacred Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes in W...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Amaterasu)A Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread network o...
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Kumano Shrine
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Kumano Gongen (manifestions of Shinto-Buddhist deities)Kumano Shrine is dedicated to the Kumano deities, representing the syncretic tradition that combines...
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Kumano Shrine
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Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Amaterasu)Kumano Shrine is part of the extensive network of shrines affiliated with the famous Kumano Sanzan (...
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Kumano Shrine
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Kumano Sanzan deitiesKumano Shrine is dedicated to the deities of the Kumano Sanzan, the three sacred mountains of Kumano...
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Kumano Shrine
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Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Buddhist-Shinto syncretized deities)Kumano shrines are found throughout Japan and are dedicated to the Kumano Gongen, a syncretic deity...
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Kumano Shrine
Kagoshima
Kumano Gongen deitiesA Kumano shrine in Kagoshima Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano Gongen deities. Part of the Kumano f...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA regional Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture that enshrines the three principal deities of the Kumano...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA regional shrine dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread network of Kumano shrines...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Buddhist-Shinto syncretism)A local Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines found thro...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA regional shrine dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines t...
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Kumano Shrine
Kagoshima
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Buddhist-Shinto syncretic deities)A Kumano shrine in Kagoshima Prefecture, part of the widespread network of shrines affiliated with t...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (Kumano deities)A Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the powerful Kumano deities. Kumano shrines are foun...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the three primary deities of the Kumano faith. Like...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (Kumano deities)A Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines found throughout...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA regional shrine dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread network of Kumano shrines...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture that enshrines the three principal deities of the Kumano faith. L...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (Kumano deities)A branch shrine of the famous Kumano Sanzan in Wakayama Prefecture, this local shrine brings the spi...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the powerful deities of the Kumano Sanzan, the three...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen deitiesA Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano Gongen deities, part of the broader Kuman...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the powerful kami of the Kumano mountains. Part of t...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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