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

戸隠神社

Niigata

Kokuryu

Located in the heart of Japan's picturesque prefecture of Niigata, Kotobagisha Shrine is a serene Sh...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Oi-no-kami

Located in the heart of Niigata,諏訪神社 is a revered Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the Riv...

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西鱈田神社

Niigata

Seidai-ta

Located in the city of Agemo, Niigata Prefecture, the Sei-daini-ta Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicat...

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諏訪社

Niigata

Temmangū

Temple and Shinto shrine located in the city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, famous for its beautifu...

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Kumano Shrine 熊野神社

Niigata

Susanoo no Okami

Kumano Shrine, located in the heart of Japan, is one of the most revered Shinto shrines in the count...

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神明宮

Niigata

Located in the heart of Niigata, Godaiwa Shrine is a historic Shinto temple dedicated to Okuninushi...

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智泉寺

Niigata

Located in the prefecture of Niigata, 智泉寺 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami Enmei, revered...

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水月寺

Niigata

Ryujin

Water Moon Temple, located in the heart of Japan's rugged Niigata Prefecture, is a serene Shinto shr...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Inari Okami

諏訪神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. Dedicated to the kam...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Mt. Iwanuma, River Kami

諏訪神社 is a Shinto shrine located in Niigata Prefecture, dedicated to the kami of Mt. Iwanuma and...

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八幡宮

Niigata

Bishamon

Located in the city of Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, Eight Horses Temple is a Shinto shrine dedicated...

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八幡宮

Niigata

Hachiman

Located in Niigata Prefecture, Eighteen Hands Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to the deity Susan...

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Shirohige Shrine 白鬚神社

Niigata

null

Shirohige Shrine, located in Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of good fo...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Utsukushiyomi

The諏訪神社, also known as the Enetsu Shrine, is a Shinto shrine located in Etsu Village, Niigata Pr...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Mihara-Okami

Gokayama's prominent temple, Shrines are important for worship of Shinto deities in Japan, and are o...

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菅原神社

Niigata

Tsukiyomi no Okami

Located in the Japanese prefecture of Niigata, Shirokanai Shrine is dedicated to the enshrined deity...

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諏訪社

Niigata

Enma-daiō

諏訪社 is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Chiba, located on the eastern coast of Honshu, but...

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荒神社

Niigata

Inari

Located in the town of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, the Arashina Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto d...

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白山神社

Niigata

White Mountain

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

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Inari

Tonobaya Shrine, located in Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto deity Inari Okami. As a m...

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小平神社

Niigata

Noborito-no-Kami

Small village shrine in rural Niigata Prefecture, dedicated to the kami of fertility and prosperity....

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神明宮

Niigata

Godai

Godai Hikoboshi no Matsuri, a double festival held in July to honor the spirit of the couple who liv...

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神明宮

Niigata

Hachiman

The Godai-jinja Shrine in Niigata Prefecture is dedicated to the worship of Hachiman, a prominent Sh...

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太神宮

Niigata

Amaterasu Ōmikami

The Taihakuten or太神宮 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Sun Goddess Amaterasu in Niigata, Japan....

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Browse shrines by prefecture

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

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