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

川原神社

Niigata

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Located in the town of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, is not correct, however, it's close to Kanazaw...

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石動神社

Niigata

Hachiman Okami

Stone Gate Shrine, located in Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto deity, Hachiman Okami,...

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住吉神社

Niigata

福田大神、神田大神

住吉神社は、神奈川県の神宮寺から移され、1868年に現在の新潟県に設立された神社です。東日本大震災が起き...

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神明宮

Niigata

Located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture, Godaikannon Temple is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated...

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三所神社

Niigata

Three Saints (San no Soko)

Located in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture, San no Soko Jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to th...

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神明宮(脇子八幡宮境内社)

Niigata

Benzaiten

Godaiji Shrine, located in the Sakanate district of Joetsu City, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the...

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Hachiman

Hachiman Jinja 脇子八幡宮

Niigata

Hachiman

Hachiman Jinja, located in Niigata Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of war and fe...

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古峯神社

Niigata

Inari

Located in the scenic Sado Island, Noto Peninsula, and the Japanese Alps foothills of Niigata Prefec...

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羽黒神社

Niigata

Namahage

Located in the prefecture of Niigata, Haku Black Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of t...

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藤基神社

Niigata

Fujikihime no Kami

藤基神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture, dedicated to Fujikihime...

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十二所神社

Niigata

The Twelve Shrines of Niigata, also known as Jūsei-jinja, is a collection of twelve Shinto shrines l...

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母衣王神社

Niigata

Mother Yokai Hime

Mother-yoko-hime-no-kami-jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Mother Yokai Hime, a revered kami fro...

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十二宮社

Niigata

The Twelve Shrine (Jūni-kyō) is a Shinto complex located in Niigata Prefecture, dedicated to the twe...

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天王宮

Niigata

Enma

Tenno-no-miya Shrine in Niigata Prefecture is dedicated to the Enma-sama, the god of the underworld...

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薬師堂

Niigata

Fukurokuju

藥師堂, a Shinto shrine located in Niigata Prefecture, is dedicated to the deity of medicine and hea...

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諏訪神社

Niigata

Yuzuhime

諏訪神社, located in the town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrin...

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十二社

Niigata

The Twelve Shrines of Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage site, encompasses Shugendo and Buddhist influen...

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矢放神社

Niigata

Matsushita-yashiro

Located in the Niigata Prefecture, Yūsui-jinsha (or Matsushita-yashiro) is a Shinto shrine dedicated...

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高龍神社

Niigata

Ryujin

Highryu Jinja, located in the city of Iwakuni, Honshu Island, is dedicated to Ryujin, a water deity...

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小牧社

Niigata

Yuzawa-tsumi, Yuzawa-tsurugi

Located in the city of Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, small pastoral shrine dedicated to Shinto deities...

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正面ヶ原神社

Niigata

Ōkuninushi

Located in the town of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Jōmen-ga-hara Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicate...

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子之権現

Niigata

Tsuchi-no-kami

Subetsu no kami, the Shinto deity enshrined at Subetsu-son no Kanei, is believed to have originated...

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大牧神社

Niigata

Tatsu no Okami, Kusunoki Sakamoto

Tatsunokuchi Taisha is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Kurokawa, Niigata Prefecture. Founded...

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矢放神社

Niigata

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Located in the city of Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, Matsumotogashi Matsuri no Michi (Matsumoto-ga-shi...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

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

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