Overseas Shinto

Overseas Shinto designates the practice of the Japanese religion of Shinto outside Japan itself. Shinto has spread abroad by various methods, including the imperial expansion of the Empire of Japan during the Meiji period, the migration of Japanese to other countries, and the embrace of Shinto by various non-Japanese individuals.

outside Japan are termed ("overseas shrines"), a term coined by .

In Europe

On June 22, 2014, Europe's first official Shinto Shrine: San Marino Shrine was opened in Serravalle, San Marino. The San Marino shrine was inaugurated in the presence of 150 personalities including the president of the Association of Shinto Shrines and Yoko Kishi, mother of the former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe and daughter of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. The shrine was established in commemoration of the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

In Asia

In Japanese-controlled territories (China, Korea, the Pacific Islands, Taiwan, Manchukuo and Karafuto Prefecture), shrines were erected by both Japanese settlers and colonial authorities. Most of the sanctuaries were built by settlers, but many of them later received government recognition and funding. At first, ''jinja'' built Japanese communities for their use, often using ritual objects from their old shrines. In 1900, the Japanese authorities erected the first large shrine in the colonies, it became Taiwan Grand Shrine. It was followed by other major shrines, such as Chōsen Shrine in Korea and Karafuto Shrine on Sakhalin. These shrines were built by decree of the governor and without consultation with the Shinto clergy, and their policies were determined by the military.

During the Second World War, the expansion of Japanese influence in Southeast Asia led to the construction of Shinto shrines as part of the imposition of State Shinto. Countries including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaya, Borneo, and Indonesia saw the establishment of such sites. In Singapore, Syonan Shrine was formerly built to commemorate the many Japanese soldiers and military personnel who fell in the Japanese conquest of Singapore. In Indonesia, a total of 11 shrines were built. Among the most notable were Chinnan Shrine in Malang, Java, which was initially built to be the southernmost Shinto shrine in Asia—and Hirohara Shrine in Medan, which remains as the last surviving Shinto shrine in Southeast Asia. Hirohara Shrine featured distinctive rites associated with wartime devotion and reverence for the imperial family, originating from its foundation by the Imperial Guard. Among these were the performance of the and the practice of , a form of worship directed toward the imperial palace from afar.

In the Americas

United States

The first Shinto shrine in Hawaii was , built in 1898. It is known that shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japanese Shintoists in Hawaii held ceremonies in honor of the former commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet, Tōgō Heihachirō. One of the shrines, built at the beginning of the 20th century, was subordinate to both the Japanese authorities responsible for the shrine system and the American authorities, since it was registered in the state as a non-profit organization. American Shintoists were culturally influenced by their local environment. Thus, the spirits of George Washington and Hawaiian King Kamehameha I entered the local pantheon. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American government closed the shrine, fearing the growth of anti-American sentiment among the Japanese, but after the surrender of Japan in September 1945, the shrine continued its work. The few shrines on the West Coast of the United States were not restored after the war.

Brazil

Two Shinto shrines were built in Brazil before the outbreak of World War II, both in the state of São Paulo. The first one was built in 1920 by Uetsuka Shuhei in the city of Promissão. The second temple was built by immigrants in the municipality of Bastos 18 years later. Most emigrants performed rituals of worshiping the gods with their families, and less often with their neighbors. 11 major shrines are still located in Brazil.

In Oceania

Micronesia

Shinto shrines dating from during or after World War II exist in some Micronesian countries.

In Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Some Shinto-inspired new religions have gained ground in various cities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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{{Shinto2, state=expanded

Shinto