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Shrine Map

Japan’s major shrines, arranged 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 lineage; dashed lines are candidate ley lines (hypothesized alignments connecting sacred sites).

It asserts neither scientific proof nor any ranking among beliefs. Use it as an entry point to where myth and geography meet, by way of 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 how a shrine identifies itself or from its doctrinal category.

  • 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. Omission from this list means nothing about a shrine’s standing; the selection is curated 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 looks for alignments beyond coincidence.

Go further

Chapter 2 examines shrine genealogies and distribution, the classical uses of himorogi, and the scholarly debate over its relationship to the development of shrines.

Read Chapter 2: The 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, use the contact link at the foot of the page.