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
Shiga
Amaterasu / SusanooAkihaba Shrine, located in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, is a historic Shinto shrine dedicat...
View shrine →Shiga
Amaterasu and Sakae no Katsuno-mi-no-kamiLocated in the city of Hikone, Dayotsu-jinja Shrine is one of Japan's oldest shrines, dedicated to A...
View shrine →Shiga
Located in the heart of Shiga Prefecture, Shitennō-ji Temple is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated t...
View shrine →Shiga
Kazegi-ji, located in the town of Katsuyama in Shiga Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldest and most r...
View shrine →Shiga
Narigisaido no KamiLocated in the town of Katsuta, Echizen Province, Hida Shirakawa Gakuin Shrine is a Shinto shrine de...
View shrine →Shiga
Ōno-tyōjinōOne sentence, '一言主神社' means one word deity shrine dedicated to Ōno-tyōjinō, a kami believed to...
View shrine →Shiga
HachimanLocated in the city of Echizen, Shiga Prefecture, Hachiman Shrine is one of Japan's oldest and most...
View shrine →Shiga
TsukuyomiConstant Shrine, a Shinto temple located in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, is dedicated to...
View shrine →Shiga
Okuninushi no KamiLocated in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Gold Sword Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Okuninushi no...
View shrine →Shiga
Kinuta HirukoLocated in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Kinuta Hiruko Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated t...
View shrine →Shiga
Ame-no-UzumeThe Omi-Ja Shrine, also known as the 'Other Palace God Shrine', is a Shinto shrine located in the ci...
View shrine →Shiga
HachimanDayotsu Mountain King Shrine, located in the mountains of Shiga Prefecture, is dedicated to the wors...
View shrine →Shiga
Kumano Sanzan kamiKumano-san Jinja, also known as Kumano Shrine in English, is a Shinto shrine located in the Kumano r...
View shrine →Shiga
KokuhōLocated in the city of Katsuta, Shiga Prefecture, Mountain Shrine is a small yet historic Shinto shr...
View shrine →Shiga
Located in the city of Omi, Shiga Prefecture, Multiple Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Multip...
View shrine →Shiga
Futsu-no-kamiAutumn Leaves Shrine is a small Shinto shrine located in the heart of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture. De...
View shrine →Shiga
Fukutomi no OkamiLake Biwa's guardian deity, Fukutomi no Okami is enshrined at the Hukuji Shrine. Dedicated to the go...
View shrine →Shiga
Aizuu-KannonLocated in the city of Hikone, Aizukannon Shrine is dedicated to the Buddhist deity Kannon and is on...
View shrine →Shiga
Located in the scenic city of Hikone, Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines,...
View shrine →Shiga
Inari OkamiWhite Mountain Shrine, located in the heart of Japan's White Mountains, is one of the oldest and mos...
View shrine →Shiga
Okuninushi-no-kamiLocated in the scenic town of Hikone, Tenshukaku Castle's surrounding forest is home to the Shinto s...
View shrine →Shiga
HachimanLocated in the city of Omi, Shiga Prefecture, Ifukuyama Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the g...
View shrine →Shiga
Inari OkamiLocated in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, the Daigawa Shrine is a sacred site dedicated to th...
View shrine →Shiga
HachimanLocated in the city of Omi, Hachiman Shrine is dedicated to the god Hachiman, a prominent kami of wa...
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.