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

正一位稲荷神社

Akita

Located in the heart of Akita, Nagisaneyama-cho's Odate Town, Jogan'inbo I site is home to the famou...

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八幡神社

Akita

Hachiman

Located in the scenic Akita Prefecture, Akita Hachimangū is a revered Shinto shrine dedicated to the...

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神明神社

Akita

Yamatano Orochi no Kami

Located in the heart of Akita, Godai Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami, Yamatano Oroch...

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神明社

Akita

Tamayotsukuni

Located in the heart of Akita City, Godai Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to Kamakura's...

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山神社

Akita

Hachiman

Located in the mountains of Akita Prefecture, mountain shrine is a serene Shinto site dedicated to...

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三上神社

Akita

Unknown

Located in the Akita Prefecture, Sanbutsu-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the three god...

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本城神社

Akita

Hachiman

Located in the heart of Akita, Honjoji Temple is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of wa...

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稲荷神社

Akita

Inari

Inakadate Jomon Sugi, a sacred cedar tree located within the grounds of Inda no Makoto Shrine in Nis...

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野中神社

Akita

Iriatsume

野中神社, located in the northern prefecture of Akita, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami Okam...

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稲荷神社

Akita

Inari Okami

Located in the northeastern prefecture of Akita, Inawashiro Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to t...

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三助稲荷神社

Akita

Sasage-no-okami

三助稲荷神社 is a Shinto shrine located in Akita Prefecture, dedicated to the god of fertility and p...

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神明社

Akita

Godai

Godai Shrine, located in the heart of Akita City, is a revered Shinto site dedicated to the worship...

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藍婆神社

Akita

Hachiman

The Hachimantai Shrine, located in Akita Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity Hachi...

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二井山神明社

Akita

Inari

Located in Akita Prefecture, 二井山神明社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of rice and prosp...

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湯殿山神社

Akita

Yamabushi-no-Kami

Located in Akita Prefecture, 湯殿山神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the mountain spirit kami of...

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八幡神社

Akita

Hachiman

The Eight-Horsemanship Shrine, located in Akita Prefecture, is dedicated to the Shinto god of war an...

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片倉神社

Akita

Tobira-no-Kami

Katagawa Shrine, located in Akita Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity of agricultu...

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八坂神社

Akita

Mutsu no Okami

Located in the heart of Akita, Eight Gates Shrine (Hachisakaken-jinja) is a revered Shinto site that...

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戸波神社

Akita

Inari Okami

Located in the city of Aomori, Akita Prefecture's second-largest city, Kotobashi Shrine honors the k...

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後三年神社

Akita

Shin'en no Okami (Holy Deer)

後三年神社は秋田県の重要な文化遺産であり、天草四郎・源頼宗・松本正平が三友(三人で)という名で知られ...

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薬師神社

Akita

null

Kobushi-sha, a Shinto shrine located in Akita Prefecture, is dedicated to the deities of medicine an...

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愛宕神社

Akita

Amaterasu

愛宕神社 is a Shinto shrine located in Akita Prefecture, dedicated to the deity Amaterasu, one of th...

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八幡神社

Akita

Hachiman

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

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諏訪神社

Akita

Temmon no Okami

Located in the heart of Akita City,諏訪神社 is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of the...

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Browse shrines by prefecture

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

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