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

十二大明神

小千谷市, 新潟県

null

The Twelve Great Shining Deities Shrine, located in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the most fa...

View shrine →

宇佐八幡宮

Niigata

Uesugi Tenjin

Uesugi Shrine, located in Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Uesugi Kengo, a skille...

View shrine →

嶽山箒根神社奥の院

Niigata

Kappa

Located in the mountains of Niigata, Ō-no-in is a serene Shinto shrine dedicated to Kappa, a water s...

View shrine →

白山神社

Niigata

Susanoo

The White Mountain Shrine, located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto de...

View shrine →

小比叡神社

Niigata

Hachiman Ōkami

Located in the city of Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, Kōbi no Sato Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated t...

View shrine →

坂井神社

Niigata

Sakaino-Okami

Sakai Jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the heart of Niigata City, dedicated to the worship...

View shrine →

Suwa shrine

Niigata

Suwa

Suwa Shrine in Niigata Prefecture is a revered Shinto site dedicated to the kami of the same name, a...

View shrine →

Old gate of Suwa shrine

Niigata

Suwa-no-kami

The Old Gate of Suwa Shrine, located in the Niigata Prefecture, is one of the oldest and most histor...

View shrine →

加茂神社

Niigata

Amaterasu Omikami

Located in the Niigata Prefecture, Kagami-ga-dera Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of...

View shrine →

金立神社

Niigata

Ryujin

Gold Hall Shrine, located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto temple dedicated to the go...

View shrine →

熊野神社

Niigata

Susanoo Ōkuninushi

Kamakura's oldest Shinto shrine, dedicated to the storm god Susanoo and the sea god Ōkuninushi, loca...

View shrine →

引田部神社

Niigata

Inudahoba

Inudahoba Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Nishikawa neighborhood of Agematsu, Niigata Prefe...

View shrine →

御食神社

Niigata

Located in the city of Kashiwa, in the prefecture of Chiba, is the Shitennoji Temple, one of Japan's...

View shrine →

住吉神社

Niigata

Ryujin

Reshi Jinsha is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, dedicated to the...

View shrine →

荒貴神社

Niigata

Yamato-tsu-hime

Located in the city of Niigata, the Ara-gi-jinsha Shrine is a historic Shinto temple dedicated to th...

View shrine →

若杉神社

Niigata

若杉神社, located in the city of Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kam...

View shrine →

大膳神社

Niigata

Bigakami

Bigakami-jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture. Dedicated to Bi...

View shrine →

青海神社

Niigata

Ryujin/Ototsu no Mikoto

Located in the city of Kariya, Niigata Prefecture, Seagreen Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to t...

View shrine →

伊勢兩宮

Niigata

Ise Grand Shrine, located in Mie Prefecture, is one of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines. However,...

View shrine →

神輿堂

Niigata

Located in the heart of Niigata, Shiro-magane-dō is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to Raijin, th...

View shrine →

春日若宮神社

Niigata

Churyu Hiko no Kami

Churyu no Miroku Taisha, or Spring Day Palace Shrine, is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Kari...

View shrine →

長瀬神社

Niigata

Okami-no-mikoto

長瀬神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Kakunodate, Niigata Prefecture, renowned for its...

View shrine →

熊野神社

Niigata

Ryūjin, Inari Ōkami

Kanmachi Shrine, located in the heart of Niigata, is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the worsh...

View shrine →

稲荷神社

Niigata

Inari Okami

The Inari shrine in Niigata Prefecture is dedicated to the Shinto deity Inari Okami, known as the go...

View shrine →

Browse shrines by prefecture

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

Japanese Culture Network

Japanese Wood Joints

Ancient joinery techniques of Japanese master craftsmen

ShrinePuzzle

Directory of Japanese board games and traditional games

Kohibou

Japanese coffee culture — kissaten, third wave and brewing guides

E2Japan

Explore Japan's landmarks, shrines and hidden locations

The 725 Club

SNES and Super Famicom collection tracker

Spaceship Adventures

Hoshi no Isan — a Japanese-aesthetic space RPG in development

Uptown Zero

Pixel art life sim MMO — start at zero, build your life

Book Fairy Tales

AI-powered educational stories for kids

CSSKitsune

Japanese-aesthetic design tokens & AI-ready UI prompts

Shinto Wisdom app icon
Free App · No Ads · Offline

Shinto Wisdom Daily Practice

by 10k Game Studio

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.

結び Musubi 清め Harae 自然 Shizen 間 Ma 誠 Makoto + 45 more
Get it on Google Play