Japanese Shrine Directory (神社データベース)

What is a shrine?

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.

Using this directory

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

Imperial

皇太神宮

Kotai Jingu

Kochi

Amaterasu Omikami

Kotai Jingu is a Shinto shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess a...

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皇大神社

Kotai Jinja shrine

Kyoto

Ō no Kamisato-mukai-no-Mikoto

Kotai Jinja Shrine, located in Kyoto, is a revered Shinto site dedicated to the Imperial deities of...

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皇大神社

Kotai Shrine

鶴岡市, 山形県

Kotae no Okami

Kotai Shrine, located in Yamagata Prefecture's Oshu region, is dedicated to the imperial deity Kotae...

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皇大神社

KōtaiJinja

Miyagi

Kotai no Kami

KōtaiJinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The sh...

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小鷹神社

Kotaka Shrine

Miyazaki

A Shinto shrine located in Miyazaki Prefecture, serving the local community as a place of worship an...

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児魂神社

Kotama Shrine

Saitama

Kokuryū (Black Dragon)

Kotama Shrine, located in Saitama Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of birth and...

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金刀比羅神社

Kotohira Jinja shrine

Kyoto

Kotohira Jinja is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, located in the town of Kotohira in Kaga...

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金刀比羅神社

Kotohira Jinja Shrine

Shimane

Hachiman

Kotohira Jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Kotohira, Shimane Prefecture. The sh...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅大鷲神社

Kotohira Owashi Shrine

Kanagawa

Okuninushi no Mikoto and Yamato Takeru no Mikoto

A Kotohira shrine dedicated to the protection of seafarers and travelers, combining worship of Okuni...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kanagawa

Ōmononushi-no-Kami

Kotohira Shrine is dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-Kami, a deity associated with safe sea voyages, commer...

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Kotohira

琴平宮

Kotohira Shrine

Kanagawa

Ōmononushi-no-Kami

A Kotohira shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-Kami, following the traditions o...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅宮

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Ōmononushi-no-mikoto

Kotohira Shrine, commonly known as Konpira-san, is one of Japan's most famous shrines dedicated to m...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Ōmononushi

Kotohira Shrine in Kochi Prefecture is dedicated to Ōmononushi, the deity of safe voyages and prospe...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅社

Kotohira Shrine

Gifu

Ōmononushi-no-kami

A local shrine dedicated to Kotohira-san, the deity associated with maritime safety, prosperity, and...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅社

Kotohira Shrine

Gifu

Ōmono-nushi-no-mikoto

A local Kotohira shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to maritime safety and prosperity. Like other K...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅神社

Kotohira Shrine

Gifu

Ōmononushi-no-mikoto

A Kotohira shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-mikoto, the deity of prosperity, goo...

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Kotohira

金刀比羅宮

Kotohira Shrine

Gifu

Ōmononushi-no-kami

A Kotohira shrine dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-kami, following the tradition of the famous Kotohiragu...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kumamoto

Ōmononushi

Kotohira Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi, the deity of pros...

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Kompira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Ōmononushi-no-mikoto

Kotohira Shrine in Kochi Prefecture is dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-mikoto, the principal deity of Kom...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Ōmononushi

Kotohira Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi, the deity of sea saf...

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金刀比羅神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kumamoto

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Kotohira

金刀比羅宮

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Ōmono-nushi no Kami

Kotohira Shrine, commonly known as Konpira-san, is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines dedicat...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kochi

Okuninushi no Mikoto

Kotohira Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to Okuninushi no Mikoto, the deity...

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Kotohira

琴平神社

Kotohira Shrine

Kumamoto

Ōmononushi-no-Mikoto

Kotohira Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Ōmononushi-no-Mikoto, the dei...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.

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