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
BENTEN shrine
松前町, 北海道
BenzaitenBenten Shrine, located in Matsumae Town, Hokkaido, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the go...
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BENTEN shrine
松前町, 北海道
Located in the city of Matsusaka-cho, Hokkaido, Banten Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzai...
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Benten Shrine
Chiba
BenzaitenBenten Shrine, located in the town of Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to...
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Benten Shrine
Chiba
BenzaitenBenten Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Chuo Ward of Chiba City, dedicated to Benzaiten, a k...
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Benten Shrine
Oita
Benzaiten (goddess of water, music, and eloquence)A Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of water, music, eloquence, and good fortune. Or...
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Benten Shrine
Kumamoto
Benzaiten (goddess of water, music, and wisdom)A Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of water, music, eloquence, and wisdom. Benzaite...
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Benten-sama
Miyagi
BenzaitenLocated in the heart of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Benten-sama Shrine is a revered Shinto site dedic...
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Bentengu Shrine
Aomori
BentenBentengu Shrine, located in Aomori Prefecture, is dedicated to the kami Benten, a revered Shinto dei...
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Benxaiten
Aomori
BenzaitenBenxaiten Shrine, located in Aomori Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto goddess of wealth and pro...
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Benzaiten
Kyoto
BenzaitenBenzaiten, the Shinto goddess of music, poetry, and arts, is enshrined at this Kyoto shrine. Dedicat...
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Benzaiten Shrine
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Benzaiten, goddess of water, music, and wisdomA shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess who was syncretized into Shinto worship as a d...
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Benzaiten Shrine
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Benzaiten, goddess of water, music, and wisdomA shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess who became integrated into Shinto practice. Be...
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Benzaiten Shrine
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Benzaiten, goddess of water, music, and wisdomA shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess who became incorporated into Shinto practice....
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Benzaiten Shrine
Kanagawa
BenzaitenA shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and good fortune...
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Benzaiten Shrine
Yamaguchi
BenzaitenA Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of water, music, eloquence, and good fortune. Or...
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Benzaitengu Shrine
Aomori
BenzaitenBenzaitengu Shrine, located in Aomori Prefecture, is a Shinto temple dedicated to the enshrined deit...
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Bessho Kotohira Shrine
Kumamoto
Ōmononushi-no-kamiBessho Kotohira Shrine is a local Kotohira shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-...
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Betsugu Ichimokuren Shrine
Gifu
Ichimokuren-no-KamiA shrine dedicated to Ichimokuren-no-Kami, a one-eyed deity known for keen insight and the ability t...
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Bihiro Shrine
Hokkaido
Tachibana no OkamiBihiro Shrine, located in rural Hokkaido, is a lesser-known Shinto temple dedicated to the worship o...
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Bijo Shrine
Saitama
nullBijo Shrine, located in the heart of Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture, is a serene and historic Shi...
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Billiken shrine
Osaka
RaijinLocated in Osaka, Japan, Billiken Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to the enshrined deity, Billik...
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Bisha Shrine
君津市, 千葉県
BishaBisha Shrine, located in Kinzan city, Chiba Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of p...
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Bishamonten Shrine
伊豆市, 静岡県
Bishamonten Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, dedicated to the Bud...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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