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.

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30,440 shrines found

ニノ堀八大龍王神社

Akita

Hachiman

Located in the Akita Prefecture, Ni-no-tōri Hachiman Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto god of war an...

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ニノ堀大龍王神社

Akita

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Ni-no-Mori Dai Ryu-ou Jinja, located in Akita Prefecture, is dedicated to the deity Ryuou, a powerfu...

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愛宕神社

Akita

Ama no Inoko

Ai Date Shrine, located in Akita Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto god of love, fertility, and...

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白山神社

Akita

Shinno-kami

Located in the snowy mountains of Akita Prefecture, White Mountain Shrine (Shirakami Jinja) is a Shi...

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長面神明社

Akita

Tsukiyomi

長面神明社 is a Shinto shrine located in Akita, dedicated to Tsukiyomi, the moon god and guardian de...

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不動田神社

Akita

Fudo Myo-o

Located in the heart of Akita Prefecture, 不動田神社 (Fudōda Shrine) is a historic Shinto shrine ded...

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宮ノ目神社

Akita

Miyagō no Tsuchi Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Ichikawa, Akita Prefecture. Dedica...

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岩見神社

Akita

Ryujin

Located in the Akita Prefecture, Ryusenji Shrine is a Shinto temple dedicated to the god of wind and...

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岩谷山神社

Akita

Located in the Akita Prefecture, Iwatake Yama Shinsho is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of th...

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菅原神社

Akita

Sakahama no Mikoto

菅原神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Akita, honing its spiritual significance as a his...

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木ノ宮神社

Akita

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Wooden Bridge Shrine, a historic Shinto site located in Akita Prefecture, is dedicated to the worshi...

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太平山神社

Akita

Bishamon

Located in the scenic Akita prefecture, Taiheiya Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto deity Bishamon, a...

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八幡神社

Akita

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

Located in the city of Akita, Akita Prefecture, Eightfold God Shrine is one of Japan's oldest Shinto...

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生面神社

Akita

Mikoto no Okami

Bornosai Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Sakata, Akita Prefecture. As the only shri...

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若宮八幡神社

Akita

Hachiman

Located in the heart of Akita city, Ifukuku-cho's oldest shrine, Hie Shrine, is dedicated to the dei...

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山神社

Akita

Sakigami

Located in the scenic Akita Prefecture,山神社 is a serene Shinto shrine dedicated to the mountain go...

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熊野神社

Akita

Ryujin

Hokutoji Shrine, located in Akita Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the forest...

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岩玉神社

Akita

Ryūgatsume

Located in the heart of Akita Prefecture, Ryōgatsumani Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the go...

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両沢神社

Akita

Ōkami

Located in the city of Yamagata, Akita Prefecture, Ryūzawa Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto deity Ō...

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柳町神社

Akita

Ryujin

Located in the scenic city of Akita, 柳町神社 is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity of...

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戸隠神社

Akita

Tamayotsukimi no Mikoto

Hidden House Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Akita Prefecture, dedicated to the deity of the ho...

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八坂神社

Akita

Takamatsu-no-kami

Located in the heart of Akita Prefecture,八坂神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the worship of Tak...

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塞神社

Akita

Jichū

Located in the Akita Prefecture, 塞神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the enshrined deity Jichū, t...

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山神社

Akita

Yamagami (Mountain Kami) / Tobiroba-yama-ho no kami

Located in the heart of Akita, the mountains of which are said to be the dwelling place of the mount...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

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

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