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
Orii-jinja Shrine
Ibaraki
Amaterasu-omikamiLocated in the town of Nakaminato, Ibaraki Prefecture, Orii-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicate...
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Osagami Suijin Shrine
Kanagawa
Water deityA water deity shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the protective spirits of water sources and...
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Osaka Tenmangu Shrine (Ōsaka Tenmangū)
Osaka
MichizaneLocated in the heart of Osaka, Osaka Tenmangu Shrine is a revered Shinto shrine dedicated to the god...
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Osakabe Shrine
Hyogo
Konoha MikotoLocated in the town of Osakabe in Hyogo Prefecture, Osakabe Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine that...
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Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine
Miyagi
HachimanLocated in the heart of Miyagi Prefecture, Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine is dedicated to the deity Hachim...
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Osaki Jinja
Miyagi
HachimanOsaki Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture. The shrine is dedica...
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Osato Hachiman Jinja
Miyagi
HachimanOsato Hachiman Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in Miyagi Prefecture, dedicated to the kami of Hachi...
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Oshika Miyake Shrine
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A Shinto shrine located in the Oshika area, dedicated to local kami and serving the surrounding comm...
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Oshima Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman)A Hachiman shrine located in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin. As a Hachim...
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Oshima Nanasugi Jinja
Nagano
Inari OkamiLocated in the town of Shimojishiro, Nagano Prefecture, Oshima Nanasugi Jinja is a lesser-known Shin...
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Oshima Shrine
Shiga
Oushima no KamiOshima Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine located on Oshima Island in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture. T...
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Oshima Shrine
Ishikawa
Oshima no KamiOshima Shrine, located in Ishikawa Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the same...
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Oshina Suwa Jinja
Nagano
Located in the heart of Nagano, Oshina Suwa Jinja is a sacred Shinto site dedicated to the kami Suwa...
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Oshite-jinja Shrine
Ibaraki
Oshite-jinja Shrine is primarily dedicated to the kami of a hand that offers assistance, but it also enshrines other regional deities such as the storm god and the guardian of agriculture.Oshite-jinja Shrine, located in the rural area of Ibaraki Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated t...
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Osugi Shrine
Ibaraki
Located in the town of Ōtō, Ibaraki Prefecture, Osugi Shrine is dedicated to the kami of the Japanes...
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Ota Hime Inari Jinja
Chiba
Located in the town of Tsukudo, Chiba Prefecture, the Ota Hime Inari Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedica...
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Ota Nogami Shrine
Fukushima
Agricultural deitiesOta Nogami Shrine is a local Shinto shrine in Fukushima Prefecture dedicated to agricultural deities...
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Ota Susano Shrine
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Susanoo-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm god and brother of Amaterasu in Japanese m...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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