# Sōja shrine

Sōja (総社) is a type of Shinto shrine where the kami of a region are grouped together into a single sanctuary. This "region" may refer to a shōen, village or geographic area, but is more generally referred to as a whole province. The term is also occasionally called "sōsha". The sōja are usually located near the provincial capital established in the Nara period under then ritsuryō system, and can either be a newly created shrine, or a designation for an existing shrine. The "sōja" can also be the "ichinomiya" of the province, which themselves are of great ritual importance.
Whenever a new kokushi was appointed by the central government to govern a province, it was necessary for him to visit all of the sanctuaries of his province in order to complete the rites necessary for ceremonial inauguration. Grouping the kami into one location near the capital of the province greatly facilitated this duty,
The first mention of "sōja" appeared in the Heian period, in the diary of Taira no Tokinori, dated March 9, 1099 in reference to the province of Inaba.
The name "Sōja" is also found in place names such as the city of Sōja in Okayama Prefecture.
Rokusho shrine (six place) is a very common Soja shrine name.$^{:601}$

## Provincial Soja Shrines

| Region | Province | Shrine | Location | Engishiki Jinmyocho | Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines | Beppyo? |
| Kinai | Yamashiro | unknown | | | | |
| Kinai | Yamato | unknown | Takatori, Nara | | | |
| Kinai | Kawachi | Shikiagatanushi Shrine [ja] | Fujiidera, Osaka | Shikinai Taisha | Son-sha | |
| Kinai | Izumi | Izumi Inoue Shrine [ja] | Izumi, Osaka | | Fuken-sha | |
| Kinai | Settsu | Nanba Shrine [ja; de; fr; simple] | | | Fuken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Iga Province | unknown | | | | |
| Tōkaidō | Ise | Inatomi Shrine [ja] | Suzuka, Mie | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Ise | Miyake Shrine [ja] | Suzuka, Mie | Shikinai Shosha | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Shima | Kokufu Shrine [ja] | Shima, Mie | | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Owari | Owari Ōkunitama Shrine | Inazawa, Aichi | Shikinai Shosha | Kokuhei Shōsha | Yes |
| Tōkaidō | Mikawa | Mikawa Sōja [ja] | Toyokawa, Aichi | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Tōtōmi | Ōmikunitama Shrine [ja] | Iwata, Shizuoka | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Suruga | Shizuoka Sengen Shrine (Kambe Junja) | Shizuoka, Shizuoka | Shikinai Shosha | Kokuhei Shōsha | Yes |
| Tōkaidō | Izu | Mishima Taisha | Mishima, Shizuoka | | Kanpei Taisha | |
| Tōkaidō | Kai | Kaina Shrine 1st location [ja] | Fuefuki, Yamanashi | Shikinai Shosha | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Kai | Kaina Shrine 2nd location [ja] | Fuefuki, Yamanashi | Shikinai Shosha | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Kai | Miyamae-cho Hachimangu [ja] (3rd location) | Kōfu, Yamanashi | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Sagami | Rokusho Shrine [ja] | Ōiso, Kanagawa | | Gō-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Musashi | Ōkunitama Shrine | Fuchū, Tokyo | | kanpei-shōsha | Yes |
| Tōkaidō | Awa | Rokusho Shrine [ja] | Tateyama, Chiba | | Unknown | |
| Tōkaidō | Awa | Tsuruya Hachiman Shrine [ja] (2nd location) | Tateyama, Chiba | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Kazusa | Togakushi Shrine | Ichihara, Chiba | | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Kazusa | Iigaoka Hachimangu [ja] (2nd location) | Ichihara, Chiba | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Shimōsa | Rokusho Shrine [ja] | Ichikawa, Chiba | | Son-sha | |
| Tōkaidō | Hitachi | Hitachi-no-Kuni Sōshagū | Ishioka, Ibaraki | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Ōmi | unknown | | | | |
| Tōsandō | Mino | Nangū Otabi Shrine | Tarui, Gifu | | Setsumatsusha | |
| Tōsandō | Hida | Hida Sōja [ja] | Takayama, Gifu | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Shinano | Shinano Omiya Shrine [ja] | Ueda, Nagano | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Shinano | Iwa Shrine [ja] (2nd location) | Matsumoto, Nagano | | Son-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Kōzuke | Sōja Shrine [ja] | Maebashi, Gunma | | Ken-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Shimotsuke | Ōmiwa Shrine (Shimotsuke) [ja] | Tochigi, Tochigi | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Mutsu | Mutsu Sōsha-no-miya [ja] | Tagajō, Miyagi | | Son-sha | |
| Tōsandō | Dewa | Rokusho Shrine [ja] | Tsuruoka, Yamagata | | Gō-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Wakasa | Sō Shrine [ja] | Obama, Fukui | | Son-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Echizen | Sōja Daijingū [ja] | Echizen, Fukui | | Ken-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Kaga | Isobe Shrine [ja] | Komatsu, Ishikawa | Shikinai Shosha | Gō-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Noto | Sōsha [ja] | Nanao, Ishikawa | | Son-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Etchū | Keta Shrine | | | Fuken-sha | |
| Hokurikudō | Echigo | Fuchū Hachiman-gū [ja] | Jōetsu, Niigata | | Unknown | |
| Hokurikudō | Sado | Sōsha Shrine [ja] | Sado, Niigata | | Unknown | |
| San'indō | Tamba | Sō Shrine [ja] | Nantan, Kyoto | | Unknown | |
| San'indō | Tango | Kono Shrine | | | Kokuhei Chūsha | |
| San'indō | Tajima | Keta Shrine [ja] | Toyooka, Hyōgo | Shikinai Shosha | Gō-sha | |
| San'indō | Inaba | unknown | | | | |
| San'indō | Hōki | Kokuchōri Shrine [ja] (Sōja-daimyōjin) | Kurayoshi, Tottori | Shikigeisha [ja; simple] | Ken-sha | |
| San'indō | Izumo | Rokusho Shrine [ja] | Matsue, Shimane | | Ken-sha | |
| San'indō | Iwami | Ikan Shrine [ja] | Hamada, Shimane | Shikinai Shosha | Son-sha | |
| San'indō | Oki | Tamawakasumikoto Shrine [ja] (Sōja-daimyōjin) | Okinoshima, Shimane | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| San'indō | Oki | Araki Shrine | Okinoshima, Shimane | | Son-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Harima | Itatehyōzu Shrine | Himeji, Hyōgo | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | Yes |
| San'yōdō | Mimasaka | Mimasaka Sōjagū [ja] | Tsuyama, Okayama | | Ken-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Bizen | Bizen-no-Kuni Sōjagū [sv; ja; simple] | Okayama, Okayama | | Gō-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Bitchū | Bitchū-no-kuni Sōjagū [ja] | Sōja, Okayama | | Ken-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Bingo | Ono Shrine [ja] | Fuchū, Hiroshima | | Unknown | |
| San'yōdō | Aki | unknown | | | | |
| San'yōdō | Aki | Take Shrine | Fuchū, Hiroshima | Myojin Taisha | Ken-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Suō | Saba Shrine [ja] | Hōfu, Yamaguchi | | Ken-sha | |
| San'yōdō | Nagato | Sōsha-gū (subshrine of Iminomiya Shrine) | Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi | | Setsumatsusha | |
| San'yōdō | Nagato | Wakamiya Shrine [ja] | Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi | | Unknown | |
| Nankaidō | Kii | Fumori Shrine [ja] | Wakayama, Wakayama | | Son-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Awaji | Jūichimyōjin Shrine [ja] | Minamiawaji, Hyōgo | | Son-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Awa | Hachiman Sōsha Ryo Shrine [ja] | Tokushima, Tokushima | | Son-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Awa | Omiwa Shrine [ja] | Tokushima, Tokushima | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Sanuki | Sōja Shrine [ja] | Sakaide, Kagawa | | Gō-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Iyo | Ikanashi Shrine [ja] | Imabari, Ehime | Shikinai Shosha | Son-sha | |
| Nankaidō | Tosa | Tosa Kokubun-ji | Nankoku, Kōchi | | Gō-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Chikuzen | unknown | | | | |
| Saikaidō | Chikugo | Kōra taisha | Kurume, Fukuoka | | Kokuhei Taisha | |
| Saikaidō | Buzen | Sōsha Hachiman-gū [ja] | Miyako, Fukuoka | | Gō-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Bungo | unknown | | | | |
| Saikaidō | Hizen | unknown | | | | |
| Saikaidō | Higo | Kitaoka Shrine [sv; ja; simple] | Kumamoto, Kumamoto | | Fuken-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Hyūga | Tsuma Shrine [fr; ja; simple] | Saito, Miyazaki | Shikinai Shosha | Ken-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Ōsumi | Haraido Shrine [ja] | Kirishima, Kagoshima | | Son-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Satsuma | Shukō Shrine [ja] subshrine of Nitta Shrine | Satsumasendai, Kagoshima | | Setsumatsusha | |
| Saikaidō | Iki | Kō Shrine [ja] | Iki, Nagasaki | | Son-sha | |
| Saikaidō | Tsushima | unknown | | | | |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Hakodate Hachimangū | | | Kokuhei Chūsha | |

## Regional Soja Shrines

Regional Soja Shrines are Soja shrines dedicated to a specific region rather than a whole province. These include
* Akasaka Uenoyama Shrine [ja]
* Unakoro Waki Shrine [ja]
* Ono Shrine (Ritto City) [ja]
* Ogami Shrine (Tonami City) [ja]
* Kainan Shrine [ja]
* Katsushika Shrine [ja]
* Katsube Shrine [ja]
* Mukuhashi Shrine [ja]
* Kotai Jingu (Fujisawa City) [ja]
* Gosho Shrine (Sammu City) [ja]
* Sakata Shinmei Shrine [ja]
* Shinkai Sansha Shrine [ja]
* Sazama Shrine (Daito City) [ja]
* Kenda Suga Shrine [ja]
* Tachibana Shrine (Kawasaki City) [ja]
* Torakashi Shrine [ja]
* Nagao Shrine
* Nanba Shrine [ja; de; fr; simple] (may have historically been a provincial one)
* Arayaza Amaterasu Mitama Shrine [ja]
* Nogi Shrine
* Hotaka Shrine
* Washinomiya Shrine