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
Dairokutensha Shrine
Kanagawa
Dairokutenno (Sixth Heaven King)A shrine dedicated to Dairokutenno, the deity of the Sixth Heaven in Buddhist cosmology who was sync...
View shrine →Dairokutensha Shrine
Kanagawa
Dairokuten-no-oA shrine dedicated to Dairokuten-no-o, a Buddhist-influenced deity associated with desire and the si...
View shrine →Dairokutensha Shrine
Kanagawa
Dairokutenno (Sixth Heaven King)A shrine dedicated to Dairokutenno, a deity associated with the Sixth Heaven realm in Buddhist cosmo...
View shrine →Donen Inari Shrine
Kanagawa
Inari OkamiDonen Inari Shrine is a local Inari shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the fox deity Inari O...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary deities)Dosojin are traditional Japanese road and boundary deities found throughout Japan, particularly comm...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (roadside protective deities)Dosojin are traditional roadside protective deities found throughout Japan, particularly common in r...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (boundary guardian deities)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective folk deities traditionally placed at village boun...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (Road and boundary protective deities)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective deities of travelers, boundaries, and communities...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary deities)Dosojin shrines are small roadside sanctuaries dedicated to protective deities of travelers, boundar...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
DosojinA roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective deities of travelers, boundaries, and safe passag...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (traveler protection deity)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective folk deities traditionally placed at village boun...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary protective deities)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective folk deities commonly found throughout Japan that...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary deities)A shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective deities of roads, boundaries, and travelers. These folk de...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (boundary and travel protection deities)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective folk deities that guard travelers, village bounda...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (protective road deities)A roadside shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective folk deities traditionally placed at village boun...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary deities)Dosojin shrines are found throughout Japan, particularly in mountainous regions, dedicated to folk d...
View shrine →Dosojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Dosojin (road and boundary deities)Dosojin are protective road deities commonly found at village boundaries, crossroads, and mountain p...
View shrine →Dosojin Stone Shrine
Kanagawa
DosojinA traditional roadside stone shrine dedicated to Dosojin, protective deities of travelers and bounda...
View shrine →Egawa Tenjin Shrine
Kanagawa
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenjin shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and p...
View shrine →Enoshima Shrine Nakatsu-miya
Kanagawa
Ichikishimahime-no-mikotoNakatsu-miya is the middle shrine of the three main buildings comprising Enoshima Shrine, located on...
View shrine →Fuda-no-Tsuji Benzaiten Shrine
Kanagawa
BenzaitenA small shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of water, music, and good fortune who be...
View shrine →Fuji Sengen Daibosatsu Shrine
Kanagawa
Konohanasakuya-himeA Sengen shrine dedicated to the worship of Mount Fuji and its protective deity. Sengen shrines form...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
Ancient joinery techniques of Japanese master craftsmen
Directory of Japanese board games and traditional games
Japanese coffee culture — kissaten, third wave and brewing guides
Explore Japan's landmarks, shrines and hidden locations
SNES and Super Famicom collection tracker
Hoshi no Isan — a Japanese-aesthetic space RPG in development
Pixel art life sim MMO — start at zero, build your life
AI-powered educational stories for kids
Japanese-aesthetic design tokens & AI-ready UI prompts
Every day, one teaching. One moment of stillness.
Kanji, meaning, and a quiet reflection — rooted in the philosophy
behind Japan's forests, seasons, and sacred silences.