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

鬼子母神

Niigata

Ghost Mother

The Kishōkannon Shrine in Niigata Prefecture is dedicated to the Buddhist deity of compassion, Guany...

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中山神社

Niigata

Kami of Mount Iwanuma

Located in the town of Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture, Middle Mountain Shrine is a Shinto shrine...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Enma

Located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture,諏訪神社 is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the kam...

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太神宮

Niigata

Amaterasu

The Taisho-gu Shrine, located in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldest and most reve...

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一の鳥居

Niigata

Ryuzu

One no Torii is a historic Shinto shrine located in the city of Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture. The shri...

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井伊神社

Niigata

Iizuka no kami

Izui Shrine in Niigata is dedicated to the kami of the same name, believed to be a water spirit asso...

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越ノ浦神社

Niigata

Located in the Japanese prefecture of Niigata, Uetsura-mizuno-ura-jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated...

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白山媛神社

Niigata

Namahage-onna

Located in the Japanese Alps, White Mountain Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto goddess of childbirth...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

諏訪神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the same name, located in the city of Agematsu,...

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熊野神社

Niigata

Uma no Kami

Nyonoshinsha, the Bear God Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the worship of the bear deity in N...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Enma

Located in the city of Echigo, Niigata Prefecture,諏訪神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami...

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世界一神社

Niigata

The World Shinto Shrine in Niigata is a rare example of a Shinto shrine that was built as a single,...

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神明社

Niigata

Hachiman Okami

神明社 is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The shrine is dedicate...

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朝日神社

Niigata

Located in the city of Agemo, Niigata Prefecture, Asamayashinsha is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the...

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琴平神社

Niigata

Inari

Located in the city of Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, Kubikiyama Shrine is dedicated to the worship of...

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西之宮神社

Niigata

Katsuragi-no-Kami

Located in the city of Agematsu, Niigata Prefecture, Sei no Miyajima Shrine is dedicated to the Shin...

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上道神社

Niigata

Upper Way Shrine, located in the scenic town of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine that...

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新宮熊野神社本殿

Niigata

New Kumamoto Shrine, the temple dedicated to the god of thunder 'Nikko' is located in Niigata Prefec...

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室谷神社

Niigata

Room Valley Kami

Room Valley Shrine, located in Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto deity of the same name...

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南部神社

Niigata

Minamishinsha

Located in the city of Minami, Niigata Prefecture, Minamishinsha Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated...

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十二山神社

Niigata

Kurokawa Hime

Twelve Mountain Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity of Mount Kurokawa, one of Japan's l...

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高龍神社 奥之院

Niigata

Highryuu

Highryuu no Okuninai Shrine, located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the enshrin...

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高龍神社 中社

Niigata

High Dragon Shrine, a Shinto temple dedicated to the deity Ryūjin, is located in the heart of Niigat...

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旦飯野神社

新潟市, 新潟県

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Dainichi Shrine in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture was the first Shinto shrine established by the Imperi...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

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

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