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
下野市, 栃木県
MikazukiThree Mikazuki Shrine, located in the heart of Ōdai, is a historic Shinto shrine dedicated to the ka...
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小山市, 栃木県
Inari OkamiTsurugi Shrine, located in the heart of Mito City, Tochigi Prefecture, is dedicated to Inari Okami,...
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小山市, 栃木県
OkuninushiOrashiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Okuninushi, the god of agriculture and fertility, lo...
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足利市, 栃木県
Inari Okami門田稲荷神社 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami of agriculture and fertility, located in the h...
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那須町, 栃木県
AmaterasuTodai-ji Shrine in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture is dedicated to the deity Amaterasu and is known as a s...
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那須烏山市, 栃木県
Yatagaharasima-no-kamiLocated in the midst of the Shirasagi Plains, Bear Mountain Shrine (Utsunomiya-machi, Tochigi Prefec...
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佐野市, 栃木県
Son Taroo Shrine, located in佐野 City, 栃木県, is dedicated to Son Taroo, a deity associated with th...
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那須烏山市, 栃木県
Located in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Iie-yama Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated...
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那須烏山市, 栃木県
Egatsumon Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Nishibu, Nihonmatsu City, but some sources attribute...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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