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
Atago Shrine
Oita
Atago-gongen, deity of fire preventionAtago Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to fire prevention and protection, part of the nationwide...
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Benten Shrine
Oita
Benzaiten (goddess of water, music, and eloquence)A Shinto shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of water, music, eloquence, and good fortune. Or...
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Goryo Shrine
Oita
Deified spirits of the wrongfully deadGoryo Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of goryo, the spirits of individuals who died unjustly o...
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Hachiman Kamado Shrine
Oita
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman no Kami)A Hachiman shrine in Oita Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin. The name 'Kamado' sugges...
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Hachiman Shrine
Oita
Emperor Ojin (Hachiman)A Hachiman shrine in Oita Prefecture dedicated to the deified Emperor Ojin, known as Hachiman, the p...
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Hatanaka Tenmansha Shrine
Oita
Sugawara no MichizaneA local Tenmansha shrine in Oita Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar...
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Hirata Tenmangu Shrine
Oita
Sugawara no MichizaneHirata Tenmangu is a Shinto shrine in Oita Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deifie...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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