Sano Shrine, Shinto shrine in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan

Sano-jinja is a Shinto shrine in Takaharu, Miyazaki Prefecture, dedicated to Emperor Jimmu under his childhood name Sano no Mikoto. The dark-wood sanctuary stands on a pale stone base reached by four wide, shallow steps. Its steep grey-shingled roof has a broad lower eave and a raised central gable edged with gold circular ornaments; lattice panels, an open central bay and a low railing close the facade, with white zigzag paper ropes hanging beneath the eaves.

The shrine was established during the reign of the fifth emperor and connects to the legend of Emperor Jimmu, Japan's first legendary emperor. Over centuries, it sustained damage from volcanic eruptions and fire but was rebuilt each time, surviving for over a thousand years.

The shrine's name comes from Sano-no-Mikoto, the childhood name of Emperor Jimmu, its main deity. On the first Saturday of December it hosts Sano Kagura, a dance designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property as "Takachiho's Kanme". The Nae-shiroda-sai on 18 February is a special rite praying for rice seedlings.

The shrine is open daily with no admission fee and welcomes all visitors. Staff are friendly and can explain simple customs like hand washing, prayer, and leaving offerings for those unfamiliar with the practices.

The shrine's grounds include the Okugami Shrine, a sessha dedicated to the birthplace of Emperor Jimmu. Nearby is the Ubuishi, a stone linked to his birth, and the site also holds six kofun, including a fifth- to sixth-century underground corridor tomb beneath the shrine.