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
和歌山県
nullKōreisha, a Shinto shrine in Kumano Kodo, is dedicated to the god of medicine and fertility. The shr...
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かつらぎ町, 和歌山県
RyujinLocated in Katsuragi, Wakayama Prefecture, the八代龍王神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the drago...
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かつらぎ町, 和歌山県
Located in Katsuragi Town, Wakayama Prefecture, Toyooku Inari Taishimagami Shrine is a Shinto shrine...
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和歌山市, 和歌山県
Okamisan高積神社 is a Shinto shrine located in the heart of Ōsaka Prefecture's historic city, Nara. The shri...
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和歌山県
Kushinoki no OkamiFukushima Island Shrine is a Shinto shrine located on the island of Fukushima in the Wakayama Bay, A...
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和歌山市, 和歌山県
TenjinWater Gate Shrine, located in Wakayama City, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Kami of the water g...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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