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
Soga Brothers Shrine
Ibaraki
Soga no Iruka and Soga no KunihiraThe Soga Brothers Shrine, located in Ibaraki Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the legenda...
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Soga Shrine
小田原市, 神奈川県
Soga no OsumeSoga Shrine, located in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity Sog...
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Sogasha Shrine
Ehime
Akebono-Okami, Ukanose-no-kamiLocated in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Sogasha Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to t...
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Soka Matsubara Danchi Mimachi Shrine
Ibaraki
HachimanSoka Matsubara Danchi Mimachi Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Ibaraki Prefecture, dedicated to...
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Soma shrine
札幌市, Hokkaido
Nakatomi no OkamiLocated in the heart of Sapporo, Soma Shrine is a sacred Shinto site that honors the god of agricult...
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Soma Shrine
Fukushima
Hachiman, tutelary deity of the Soma clanSoma Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Fukushima Prefecture that served as the tutelary shrine of the pow...
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Somei Inari-jinja Shrine
Ibaraki
Inari OkamiSomei Inari-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Dainoura, Ibaraki Prefecture, ded...
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Sonoharasha
Nagano
HachimanSonoharasha Shrine, located in the Nagano Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto deity of fertility...
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Sonsya Nyotai Jinja Haiden
Ibaraki
nullLocated in Ibaraki Prefecture, Sonsya Nyotai Jinja Haiden is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to t...
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Sonsya Nyotai Jinja Honden
Ibaraki
NyotaiSonsya Nyotai Jinja Honden, located in the heart of Ibaraki Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated...
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Sosha Hachimangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Hachiman (God of War and Divine Protection)Sosha Hachimangu is a Hachiman shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin....
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Soshu Kainan Takabe Shrine
Kanagawa
Iwanaga-himeA coastal shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to Iwanaga-hime, the kami of longevity and enduran...
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Soshu Kasuga Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoSoshu Kasuga Shrine is a Kasuga-type shrine located in Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the network of s...
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Soshu Kasuga Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoA Kasuga-affiliated shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture that enshrines the protective deities of the Fujiw...
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Sōtai Dōsojin
Kanagawa
Dōsojin (road and boundary deities)A traditional stone shrine dedicated to Dōsojin, the protective deities of roads, boundaries, and tr...
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Soya Shrine
Kanagawa
Soya Shrine is a local Shinto shrine located in the Soya district of Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefectur...
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Sozen Shrine
Aomori
SozenSozen Shrine, located in Aomori Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of storms and fe...
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Sudō Tennō Shrine
Nara
Emperor Sudō (Prince Sawara)A shrine dedicated to Emperor Sudō, posthumously known as Prince Sawara, who died in exile in 785 CE...
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Sudo Tenno Shrine
Nara
Emperor Sudo (Prince Sawara)A shrine dedicated to Emperor Sudo, the posthumous name given to Prince Sawara who died in exile in...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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