Shrines

This shrine is home to an unusual trifold torii and a replica Trafalgar Square lion.

According to local folklore, a demon left his handprints on these boulders, which became the prefecture’s namesake.

This 400-year-old noodle joint was once frequented by a fox-turned-monk, according to local folklore.

An atmospheric shrine of mountain worship that is home to a number of curious folk tales.

A pair of rivaling shrines dedicated to Lady Oiwa, the most famous vengeful ghost in Japan.

This shrine, built to protect against destructive waves, is home to two monumental lion heads.

Outside of where Tsukiji Market once stood, these memorials honor the spirits of the fallen fish, shrimp, and eggs used for nigiri.

A well-worshipped shrine to the Virgin Mary nestled inside the last of Zagreb’s historic gates.

It is intended to take one back to a stripped-down simplicity, to spend extended time both inside and out, and absorb the natural drama of the Upper Rio Grande Valley.

A replica of an ancient alien-like idol humorously represents spectacles in a corner of this shrine complex.

This one-of-a-kind shrine is dedicated to a girl who was too beautiful for her own good.

The lesser-known eastern counterpart to Kyoto’s famous fox shrine.

A cluster of 18th-century temples with an underground shrine.

Associated with Japanese folklore's most eminent sorcerer, this slab of rock is said to be both a blessing and a curse.

A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.

The alleged site of the months-long imprisonment of a Japanese prince.

A lone torii arch stands on a coastal rock where a deity is said to have landed.

Haunted by a giant white snake, this pond is said to bring the rain and pubic hair.