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
Tenman Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneTenman Shrine is a Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and patron...
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Tenman Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and politician who became th...
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Tenman Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and politician who became th...
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Tenman Shrine
Oita
Sugawara no MichizaneTenman Shrine is a Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and politic...
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Tenman Shrine
Oita
Sugawara no MichizaneTenman Shrine is a Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and politic...
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Tenman Shrine
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Sugawara no MichizaneTenman Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and politic...
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Tenman Shrine
Saga
Tenman Shrine, located in Saga Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of good fortune...
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TENMAN shrine
松前町, 北海道
Located in the picturesque town of Matsuechō, Hokkaido's northernmost city, Tenman Shrine is a seren...
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TENMAN shrine
松前町, 北海道
Located in the rural town of Matsusaka-cho, Hokkaido's northernmost municipality, Tenman Shrine hono...
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津山市, 岡山県
Tenman Shrine, located in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, is a Shinto temple dedicated to the god...
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Tenman shrine
Fukuoka
TenjinTenman Shrine, located in Fukuoka Prefecture, is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, dating b...
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Tenman Tenjin Shrine
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Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and poet who became the patr...
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tenmangu
常総市, 茨城県
Sugawara no MichizaneLocated in the city of Sakuramine, Cachida-gun, Hitachi Province, Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to th...
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Tenmangu
Nagano
Sugawara no MichizaneTenmangu Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, dedicated to...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Shizuoka
Sugawara no MichizaneTenmangu Shrine is a renowned Shinto shrine located in the city of Katsunuma, Shizuoka Prefecture. D...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Yamaguchi
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenmangu shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar an...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Gifu
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenmangu shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and pol...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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