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
Kiyokawa Jinja
Miyagi
FujinKiyokawa Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on the northe...
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Komagata Jinja
Miyagi
Hikoboshi, Sesho-no-Okami, Otohime, SatsukiLocated in the heart of Sendai, Komagata Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of fertility...
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KōtaiJinja
Miyagi
Kotai no KamiKōtaiJinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The sh...
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Kumamo Jinja
Miyagi
Kumamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in the town of Yamagata, Miyagi Prefecture, is dedicated to th...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Inari OkamiKumano Jinja is one of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines, located in the heart of the mountainous r...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano OkamiKumano Jinja, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is one of the most revered Shinto shrines dedicated to t...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano OkamiKumano Jinja, located in the heart of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, is one of Japan's most revered Shin...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Amaterasu Ōmikami, Susanowo no KamiKumano Jinja, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deities of the Kuman...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
SanzanLocated in the town of Kesennuma, Kumano Jinja is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, dedicat...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
YakamochiKumano Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Miyagi Prefecture, is one of Japan's most revered shrines,...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano OkamiKumano Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Dedicated to the worship of Kum...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Daiitokoro-no-KamiLocated in the Tohoku region of northern Japan, Kumano Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the wor...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
nullKumano Jinja, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is one of Japan's most renowned Shinto shrines dedicated...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
SusanooKumano Jinja, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is one of Japan's most revered Shinto shrines, dedicated...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
ŌjinLocated in the northern part of Japan, Kumano Jinja is one of the most sacred Shinto shrines dedicat...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Located in the heart of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Kumano Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano no OkamiLocated in the southern part of Honshu, Kumano Jinja is one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines de...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano Jinja, located in the prefecture of Miyagi, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Kumano kami,...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Susanoo-no-kamiLocated in the heart of Miyagi Prefecture, Kumano Jinja is one of Japan's most revered Shinto shrine...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano no OkamiLocated in Miyagi Prefecture, Kumano Jinja is one of the oldest and most revered Shinto shrines in J...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Yamabe no OkamiKumano Jinja, located in the prefecture of Miyagi, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the worship of th...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Susanoo no MikotoLocated in the Tohoku region of Japan, Kumano Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess...
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Kumano Jinja
Miyagi
Kumano no OkamiKumano Jinja, located in the heart of Miyagi Prefecture, is a revered Shinto shrine dedicated to the...
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Kumano-jinja Shrine
Miyagi
Kumano-jinja Shrine is one of Japan's oldest and most revered Shinto shrines, located in the heart o...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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