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
Tokiwa Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor Antoku and Taira no TomomoriA shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the tragic figures of the late Heian period, particula...
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Toshima Hachiman Shrine
Yamaguchi
Hachiman (god of war and divine protection)Toshima Hachiman Shrine is a Hachiman shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, dedicated to the war d...
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Toyo Shrine
Yamaguchi
A Shinto shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to deities associated with abundance and p...
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Toyokoto Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor ChuaiA Shinto shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to Emperor Chuai, the legendary 14th Emper...
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Uematsu Hachiman Shrine
Yamaguchi
Hachiman, god of war and divine protection View shrine →
Ushijima Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman)A Hachiman shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin and associated deiti...
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Wakamiya Shrine
Yamaguchi
Wakamiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to youthful or subsidiary kami....
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Wakamiya Tenman Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Sugawara no Michizane and HachimanA dual-dedication shrine combining the worship of Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and pat...
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Yamaguchi Daijingu
Yamaguchi
Amaterasu OmikamiYamaguchi Daijingu is a prominent Shinto shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture that serves as a regional br...
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Yamaguchi Gokoku Shrine
Yamaguchi
War dead and spirits of those who died for the nationYamaguchi Gokoku Shrine is dedicated to honoring the spirits of those from Yamaguchi Prefecture who...
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Yamanoi Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
HachimanYamanoi Hachimangu is a Hachiman shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emp...
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Yamazaki Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman)Yamazaki Hachimangu is a Hachiman shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Oj...
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Yasaka Shrine
Yamaguchi
Susanoo-no-MikotoYasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm g...
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Yoshinaga Hachiman Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman)A Hachiman shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin. Like other...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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