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.
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
Amaterasu Kotaijingu Shrine
Nara
Amaterasu OmikamiA shrine dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and supreme deity of the Shinto pantheon. A...
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Ame-no-Mikumari Shrine
Nara
Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami (water distribution deity)An ancient Shinto shrine in Nara dedicated to Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami, a deity responsible for the d...
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Ame-no-Minakanushi Shrine
Nara
Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-KamiA Shinto shrine dedicated to Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami, the primordial deity who appears first in J...
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Asuka Shrine
Nara
Local protective deitiesAsuka Shrine is a local Shinto shrine located in the historic Asuka region of Nara Prefecture, an ar...
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Asuka Shrine
Nara
Kumano deitiesAsuka Shrine is one of the three main Kumano shrines located in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture. As part...
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Atago Shrine
Nara
Izanami-no-MikotoAtago Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to fire prevention and protection. Part...
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Ebisu Shrine
Nara
EbisuA Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Ebisu is revered...
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Ebisu Shrine
Nara
EbisuA Shinto shrine dedicated to Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, revered as a deity of fishing, comm...
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Ebisu Shrine
Nara
Hiruko-no-Mikoto (Ebisu)A Shinto shrine dedicated to Hiruko-no-Mikoto, better known as Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods. E...
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Enmusubi-san Shrine
Nara
A local shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to matchmaking and forming romantic relationships, popul...
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Genkuro Inari Shrine
Nara
Inari OkamiA historic Inari shrine in Nara associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his loyal retainer Sato T...
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Gion-sha Yasaka Shrine
Nara
Susanoo-no-MikotoA Yasaka shrine dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, following the Gion tradition of worship that origina...
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Gojoyama Tenmangu Shrine
Nara
Sugawara no MichizaneA Tenmangu shrine in Nara Prefecture dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar and pol...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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