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HIMOROGI

Shrine Map

Explore Japan's major shrines by lineage

Read Chapter 2 →
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What this map shows

This map is an auxiliary tool for viewing major shrines across Japan by lineage. Colors on the map indicate the shrine system; dashed lines are candidate ley lines (hypothesized alignments said to connect sacred sites).

It does not assert scientific proof or any hierarchy of belief. Use it as an entry point for exploring the intersection of myth and geography through deity, origin, and regional distribution.

The Nine Shrine Lineages

This map organizes major shrines into the following nine lineages. Each is an editorial classification based on enshrined deities and historical origin, and may differ from a shrine's own self-identification or doctrinal categorization.

  • Ise lineage

    Shrines situated within the imperial-ritual lineage — including Ise Grand Shrine and major shrines tied to the imperial cult.

  • Izumo lineage

    Centered on Izumo Grand Shrine; tied to Ōkuninushi and the kuniyuzuri (transfer-of-the-land) mythic cycle.

  • Hachiman lineage

    Dedicated principally to Emperor Ōjin; closely tied to warrior devotion and the most widely distributed lineage in Japan.

  • Inari lineage

    Dedicated to Uka-no-Mitama, regarded as the deity of rice and commerce; head shrine is Fushimi Inari Taisha.

  • Tenjin lineage

    Venerating Sugawara no Michizane as the deity of learning; centered on Kitano Tenmangū and Dazaifu Tenmangū.

  • Kumano lineage

    Originating in the three Kumano shrines (Hongū, Shingū, Nachi); historically intertwined with honji-suijaku Buddhism and the Shugendō ascetic tradition.

  • Suwa lineage

    Centered on Suwa Taisha and its deity Takeminakata; widely distributed as a deity of hunting, agriculture, and martial valor.

  • Munakata lineage

    Dedicated to the three Munakata goddesses, deities of sea passage and trade; comprised of three sub-shrines on Okinoshima, Ōshima, and the mainland.

  • Other

    Shrines with regional or unique tutelary deities not classified within the eight major lineages above.

Featured Shrines

Below is the full list of shrines included on this map. Shrines not listed here are not lesser; this is a curated selection for geographic coverage and historical representativeness.

62 shrines across 9 lineages

Ise lineage(16)

Izumo lineage(8)

Hachiman lineage(5)

Inari lineage(4)

Tenjin lineage(3)

Kumano lineage(3)

Suwa lineage(3)

Munakata lineage(2)

Other(18)

Legend

The marker color on the map represents the shrine's lineage.

Dashed lines indicate candidate ley lines — proposed alignments connecting multiple sacred sites. Ley lines are not an academically established concept but a tradition of observation that searches for coincidences beyond chance.

Read deeper

For the meanings of shrine genealogies, their distribution, and the prehistory of the himorogi sacred space, see Chapter 2.

Read Chapter 2: Genealogy of the Gods and 80,000 Shrines →

Sources and Caveats

Shrine lineage classifications are an editorial organization based on enshrined deities, founding traditions, oral history, and regional distribution.

They do not assert academic certainty or any hierarchy of belief and may differ from a shrine's own founding documents, official information, or institutional position.

Coordinates, readings, and official-site URLs reference each shrine's own publicly available information. If you notice an error, please contact us via the link at the bottom of the site.