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
Kumano-jinja
南丹市, 京都府
YakamochiKumano-jinja Shrine is a revered Shinto shrine located in the heart of Tanabashi City, Kyoto Prefect...
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Kumano-jinja Shrine
Miyagi
Kumano-jinja Shrine is one of Japan's oldest and most revered Shinto shrines, located in the heart o...
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Kumano-jinja Shrine
南房総市, 千葉県
Kusunoki MakibiKumano-jinja Shrine is a Shinto temple located in Katsuura, south of Tokyo, that serves as the head...
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Kumanojinja
Kanagawa
Susanoo-no-MikotoLocated in the city of Odawara, Kumanojinja Shrine is one of Japan's most revered Shinto shrines, de...
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KumanoJinja
Miyagi
Susanoo-no-MikotoKumanoJinja, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sacred mountain of Ku...
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KumanoJinja
Miyagi
Kumano okamiKumanoJinja Shrine, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is one of the most sacred Shinto shrines dedicated...
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Kumanonachi-jinja Shrine
名取市, 宮城県
Located in the city of Namikata, Miyagi Prefecture, Kumanonachi-jinja Shrine is a historic Shinto te...
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Kumasaki Shrine
Kagoshima
A Shinto shrine located in Kagoshima Prefecture, serving the local community with traditional religi...
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Kumataka Inari Shrine
Gifu
Inari OkamiKumataka Inari Shrine is a local Inari shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the fox deity Inari Ok...
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Kumataka Shrine
Osaka
TakaokamiKumataka Shrine, located in Osaka Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the bear a...
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Kumomi Sengen Shrine
松崎町, 静岡県
HachimanLocated in the mountains of Shizuoka Prefecture, Kumomi Sengen Shrine is dedicated to the deity Hach...
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Kumomi-Sengen Shrine
Shizuoka
nullLocated in the mountains of Shizuoka Prefecture, Kumomi-Sengen Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated t...
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Kunado Jinja
Miyagi
KagutsuchiKunado Jinja, located in the heart of Sendai, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of storms and...
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Kunitama Shrine
Gifu
Kunitama no Kami (spirit of the land)Kunitama Shrine is dedicated to Kunitama no Kami, the protective deity of the local land and region....
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Kunitama Shrine
Fukushima
Kunitama no Okami (spirit of the land)Kunitama Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Fukushima Prefecture dedicated to Kunitama no Okami, the prote...
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Kunitokotachi Shrine
Nara
Kunitokotachi-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, one of the primordial deities in Japanese myth...
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Kunitokotachi Shrine
Nara
Kunitokotachi-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, one of the primordial deities in Japanese cosm...
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Kunitsu Shrine
Nara
Earthly deities (kunitsukami)A Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to kunitsukami, the earthly deities who governed the la...
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Kunitsu Shrine
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earthly deities and local kamiKunitsu Shrine is dedicated to the kunitsu-kami, the earthly deities in Shinto mythology who govern...
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Kunōzan Tōshō-gū
Shizuoka
Tōshō-gū, located at the foot of Mount Ōedan in Shizuoka Prefecture, is a prominent Shinto shrine de...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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