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
Kumano Shrine
Kanagawa
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the powerful deities of the Kumano Sanzan, the t...
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Kumano Shrine
Kanagawa
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Amaterasu)A Kumano shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines throughout J...
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Kumano Shrine
Kochi
Kumano GongenA Kumano shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread network...
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Kumano Shrine
Kochi
Kumano Gongen (Kumano deities)A Kumano shrine in Kochi Prefecture that enshrines the deities of the Kumano faith. Like other Kuman...
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Kumano Shrine
Kochi
Kumano GongenA Kumano shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to the deities of the Kumano mountains. Part of the wi...
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Kumano Shrine
Gifu
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Amaterasu)A local shrine dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread network of Kumano shrines fou...
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Kumano Shrine
Kochi
Kumano Gongen deitiesA Kumano shrine in Kochi Prefecture that enshrines the three principal Kumano deities. Part of the w...
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Kumano Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine located in Kumamoto Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines foun...
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Kumano Shrine
Kanagawa
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture that enshrines the deities of the Kumano Sanzan, the three sa...
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Kumano Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano GongenA Kumano shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread netwo...
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Kumano Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano Gongen (Kumano deities)A Kumano shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano deities, part of the widespread netwo...
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Kumano Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano Gongen deitiesA Kumano shrine located in Kumamoto Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines thro...
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Kumano Shrine
Yamaguchi
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA Kumano shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture that serves as a regional branch of the famous Kumano Sanzan...
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Kumano Shrine
Nara
Kumano Gongen deitiesKumano Shrine in Nara Prefecture is a local branch of the famous Kumano Sanzan pilgrimage sites. Lik...
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Kumano Shrine
Yamaguchi
Kumano Gongen deitiesA local Kumano shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, part of the extensive network of Kumano shrines throu...
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Kumano Shrine
Yamaguchi
Kumano Gongen (manifestation of Buddhist-Shinto syncretism)A Kumano shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, part of the widespread network of Kumano shrines throughout...
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Nakakoto Shrine
Wakayama
Kumano deitiesA Shinto shrine located in Wakayama Prefecture, associated with the Kumano faith tradition that has...
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Ohama Kumano Daijinja
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Kumano Gongen (Three Kumano Deities)A Kumano shrine that serves as a regional bunsha (branch shrine) of the famous Kumano Sanzan in Waka...
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Shingu Shrine Okunomiya
Kochi
Kumano GongenShingu Shrine Okunomiya is the inner sanctuary of Shingu Shrine located in Kochi Prefecture. As an '...
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Shisha Shrine Kumano Shrine
Kochi
Kumano Sanzan deitiesA combined shrine complex in Kochi Prefecture that houses both Shisha Shrine and Kumano Shrine under...
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Takatsuka Kumano-za Shrine
Kumamoto
Kumano Sanzan deitiesTakatsuka Kumano-za Shrine is a Kumano shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture dedicated to the powerful deiti...
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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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Wakaichi Ojigū Shrine
Kochi
Wakaichi ŌjiA Kumano-affiliated shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to Wakaichi Ōji, one of the subsidiary deit...
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Wakaichi Shrine
Kochi
Kumano deitiesA Shinto shrine in Kochi Prefecture dedicated to the Kumano deities. The name 'Wakaichi' suggests it...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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