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
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...
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Sugawara Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar, poet, and politician of the...
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Sumiyoshi Shrine
Nara
Sumiyoshi Sanjin (three Sumiyoshi deities)A subsidiary shrine (massha) dedicated to the Sumiyoshi deities, the three kami of the sea who are r...
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Sumiyoshi Shrine
Nara
Sumiyoshi Sanjin (three Sumiyoshi deities)A Sumiyoshi shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to the three Sumiyoshi deities, traditionally revere...
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Susanoo Shrine
Nara
Susanoo-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm god and brother of Amaterasu in Japanese m...
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Susanoo Shrine
Nara
Susanoo-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm god and brother of Amaterasu in Japanese m...
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Suwa Shrine
Nara
Takeminakata-no-kamiSuwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture is a local branch of the Suwa shrine network, dedicated to the warrio...
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Taga Shrine
Nara
Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-MikotoTaga Shrine is dedicated to the primordial creator deities Izanagi and Izanami, who are revered as t...
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Tajikarao Shrine
Nara
Tajikarao-no-mikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Tajikarao-no-mikoto, the powerful kami of strength who is famous in Jap...
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Takada Daijinja Shrine
Nara
Takada Daijinja is a Shinto shrine located in Nara Prefecture, serving as an important local spiritu...
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Takamimusubi Shrine
Nara
Takamimusubi no KamiA Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to Takamimusubi no Kami, one of the three creator deiti...
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Takayama Shrine
Nara
A Shinto shrine located in Nara Prefecture, bearing the name Takayama which means 'high mountain' in...
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Takayasu Tenmangu Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneTakayasu Tenmangu is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and pol...
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Takeda Shrine
Nara
A Shinto shrine located in Nara Prefecture, dedicated to local kami and serving the spiritual needs...
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Takikura Shrine
Nara
Local protective deitiesTakikura Shrine is a local Shinto shrine located in Nara Prefecture, serving as a community spiritua...
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Tamagaki Daimyojin Shrine
Nara
A local Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to Tamagaki Daimyojin, reflecting the regional fo...
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Tamahime Inari Shrine
Nara
Tamahime no Mikoto and Inari OkamiA local Inari shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to Tamahime no Mikoto, likely a localized manifest...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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