Japanese Shrine Directory (神社データベース)

What is a shrine?

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.

Using this directory

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

桜谷稲荷神社

Shiga

Inari Okami

Located in the picturesque town of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Shirakawa Inari Shrine is a revered Shi...

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御霊神社

Shiga

Ōryū

The Ōryū-jinja Shrine in Shiga Prefecture is dedicated to Ōryū, a deity believed to protect the prov...

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野蔵神社

Shiga

Inari

Located in the city of Omiya, Shiga Prefecture,野蔵神社 is a well-preserved example of traditional J...

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和田神社

Shiga

Ando no Okami

和田神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Ryogoku, Shiga Prefecture, dedicated to the kami...

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八王子神社

Shiga

Musashi

Located in the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Eight Kings Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Mu...

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新宮神社

Shiga

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

New Miyako Shrine, located in the heart of Lake Biwa's scenic Shiga Prefecture, is a revered Shinto...

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須賀神社

Shiga

Inari

Mustuga Shrine, located in the town of Nagahama in Shiga Prefecture, is dedicated to Inari Okami, th...

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八幡神社

Shiga

Susanoo-no-kami

The Eight-Horned Shrine, located in the city of Maibara in Shiga Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldes...

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天満宮

Shiga

Sugawara no Michizane

Located in the heart of Omi Province, Hieizan Tenmangu Shrine honors Sugawara no Michizane, a famous...

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諏訪神社

Shiga

Ōkuninushi

Kunihazu Shrine, located in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture is the most famous Shugendō temple in Japan bu...

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金毘羅神社

Shiga

Kinroku no Kami

Located in the heart of Shiga Prefecture, Kinroku Shrine is a sacred site dedicated to the Shinto de...

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稲荷大明神

Shiga

Amaterasu

Ise Grand Shrine in Shiga Prefecture is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and primary...

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新茂智神社

Shiga

新茂智神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Katsuyama, Shiga Prefecture. The shrine is dedi...

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佐久奈度神社

Shiga

Nakago

佐久奈度神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Koka, Shiga Prefecture. The shrine is famous...

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戸隠神社

Shiga

Jikininki-gami, Kanmon-gu

Otsu Kannon Shrine, located in the prefecture of Shiga, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the goddess...

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御霊神社

Shiga

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

Located in the city of Omi, Shiga Prefecture,御霊神社 is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the d...

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上津神社

Shiga

Tsukimi-no-Mikoto, Inari Okami

Kodai-ji Temple, located in Hikone City, is believed to be the current shrine of Upper津 Shrine. The...

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上津神社

Shiga

上津神社は、滋賀県の中心部に立つ古い神社で、鎌倉時代初期の三室造りが特徴。上津神社では、天体観測を重...

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平野神社

Shiga

Otori no Izo

平野神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Suntan, Shiga Prefecture. The shrine's main deity...

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新宮神社御旅所

Shiga

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

New Miyajima Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto, known as 'the storm...

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鞭神社御旅所

Shiga

Okuninushi Ōno-mitsukuni

Located in the town of Katsuyama, Shiga Prefecture, 鞭神社御旅所 is a small but serene Shinto shrine...

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神明宮

Shiga

Okuninushi Ōno-miya Kami

神明宮 is a Shinto shrine located in the scenic town of Ryōchi, Shiga Prefecture. Dedicated to the k...

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鞭嵜神社分社

Shiga

null

The Hata-izuka Shrine is a smaller branch of the Hata Izuka Shrine, located in Eihei-ji Temple, Shin...

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八幡神社

Shiga

Inari Okami

Located in the city of Nagahama, Eight Horses Temple Shrine is one of Japan's oldest and most famous...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.

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