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
Tategami Kumano-za Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano deitiesA Kumano shrine located in Kumamoto Prefecture that serves as a regional branch of the Kumano faith...
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Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine
Kumamoto
Tatsumi Daimyojin (protective deity of the southeast direction)A local Shinto shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Tatsumi Daimyojin, a protective deity asso...
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Tenjin Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Tenman Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Tenman Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Tenman Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenmangu shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenmangu shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and poet who became the patr...
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Tenmangu Shrine
Kumamoto
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
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Toriko Shrine
Kumamoto
A local Shinto shrine located in Kumamoto Prefecture, serving the spiritual needs of the surrounding...
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Tsuchikuro Onsen Shrine
Kumamoto
A local Shinto shrine located in Kumamoto Prefecture, associated with the Tsuchikuro hot spring area...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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