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
Akiba Shrine
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Hi-no-Kagutsuchi-no-KamiAkiba Shrine is dedicated to the fire deity Hi-no-Kagutsuchi-no-Kami and serves as a center for fire...
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Akiba Shrine
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Kagutsuchi-no-MikotoAkiba shrines are dedicated to fire prevention and protection from fires. These shrines enshrine Kag...
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Akiba Shrine
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Akiba Daigongen (fire deity)Akiba Shrine is dedicated to Akiba Daigongen, a powerful fire deity in Japanese folk religion. Origi...
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Akiba Shrine
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Akiba Daigongen (fire deity)Akiba Shrine is dedicated to Akiba Daigongen, a syncretic deity associated with fire prevention and...
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Akiba Shrine
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Akiba Daigongen (fire prevention deity)Akiba Shrine is dedicated to fire prevention and protection from disasters. These shrines originated...
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Akiba Shrine
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Akiba DaigongenAkiba Shrine is dedicated to Akiba Daigongen, a fire deity revered for protection against fires and...
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Akiba Shrine
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Akiba Daigongen (fire prevention deity)Akiba Shrine is dedicated to Akiba Daigongen, a syncretic deity associated with fire prevention and...
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Higashimachi Akiba Shrine
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Akiba Daigongen (fire prevention deity)A local Akiba shrine dedicated to fire prevention and safety, serving the Higashimachi district comm...
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Himeogawa Akiba Shrine
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Kagutsuchi-no-MikotoA local Akiba shrine dedicated to fire prevention and protection from disasters. Akiba shrines are f...
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Ipponmatsu Akibasan Shrine
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Kagutsuchi-no-MikotoA local Akiba shrine dedicated to fire prevention and protection, named for its location at Ipponmat...
View shrine →Jump to Shinto shrines across Japan — 108 prefectures in our directory.
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