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
Kamiooka Sochinjusama Kashima Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-MikotoKashima Shrine serves as the sochinjusama (general tutelary deity) of the Kamiooka area in Yokohama....
View shrine →Kamo Shrine
Kanagawa
Kamo deitiesKamo Shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture is a local branch of the famous Kamo shrines of Kyoto, dedicated...
View shrine →Kamogawa Shrine
Kanagawa
Ningyo no OkamiKamogawa Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture. The shrine i...
View shrine →Kanagawazaka Shinmeisha Shrine
Kanagawa
Amaterasu OmikamiA Shinmei shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami. Shinmei shri...
View shrine →Kanayama Shrine
Kanagawa
Kanayama-hiko and Kanayama-himeKanayama Shrine is famous for its annual Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus), celebrati...
View shrine →Kanazawa Hachiman Shrine
Kanagawa
Hachiman, god of war and divine protectionKanazawa Hachiman Shrine is a historic Hachiman shrine located in Kanagawa Prefecture, dedicated to...
View shrine →Kasama Inari Taisha Branch Shrine
Kanagawa
Ukanomitama-no-OkamiA branch shrine of Kasama Inari Taisha, one of Japan's three great Inari shrines located in Ibaraki...
View shrine →Kasamori Inari Taimyojin Shrine
Kanagawa
Inari OkamiKasamori Inari Taimyojin is an Inari shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to Inari Okami, the kam...
View shrine →Kasashina Inari Shrine
Kanagawa
Inari OkamiA local Inari shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the harvest and prosperity deity Inari Okam...
View shrine →Kashima Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-MikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto, the powerful deity of thunder and swordsmanshi...
View shrine →Kashima Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoKashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, the powerful deity of thunde...
View shrine →Kashima Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoA Shinto shrine dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, the powerful deity of thunder, swordsmanship,...
View shrine →Kasuga Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoKasuga Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the Kasuga deities. Like other...
View shrine →Kasuga Shrine
Kanagawa
Takemikazuchi-no-mikotoKasuga Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to the Kasuga deities. Like other...
View shrine →Kasuga Shrine
Kanagawa
Located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kasuga Shrine is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, renowned...
View shrine →Katabira-cho Sugiyama Shrine
Kanagawa
Yamato Takeru no MikotoA local Sugiyama shrine located in the Katabira-cho area of Kanagawa Prefecture. Part of the extensi...
View shrine →Kawana Goryo Shrine
Kanagawa
Vengeful spirits and deified soulsKawana Goryo Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to goryo, or vengeful spirit...
View shrine →Kawawa Shrine
Kanagawa
Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto and other deitiesKawawa Shrine is an ancient Shinto shrine located in Ninomiya, Kanagawa Prefecture, with origins tra...
View shrine →Keikyu Inari Taijin Shrine
Kanagawa
Inari OkamiA corporate Inari shrine established by Keikyu Corporation, dedicated to ensuring safe railway opera...
View shrine →Kenro Chijin Tower
Kanagawa
Kenro Chijin (Earth-protecting deity)A tower dedicated to Kenro Chijin, the Buddhist earth deity who protects the ground and ensures stab...
View shrine →Kenro Chijin Tower
Kanagawa
Kenro Chijin (Earth Deity)A Buddhist-influenced shrine tower dedicated to Kenro Chijin, the earth deity responsible for protec...
View shrine →Kenro Chijin Tower
Kanagawa
Kenro ChijinA tower dedicated to Kenro Chijin, the Buddhist-Shinto earth deity who protects the land and ensures...
View shrine →Kifune Shrine
Kanagawa
Located in the city of Odawara, Kifune Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of prosperity...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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