It is a mole-like mammal with a pointed snout, very small ears, and a relatively long tail.

Like most shrews, it is tiny, has poor eyesight, and a very good sense of hearing and smell which it uses to locate its prey, mainly insects.

[6] X chromosome resembles a homological one of Cheju Island Laxmann's shrew according to G stripes.

The head length from incisors to occipital condyles is 1.65-1.81 cm, and its teeth rows measure from 3.9 to 4.4 mm.

[11] The shinto shrew was described by Oldfield Thomas in 1905, who pointed out as a type locality a village Makado (now part of small town Noheji) in Aomori Prefecture, northern Hondo (former name of Honsiu), Japan.

That genus belongs to a tribe Soricini, which, altogether with tribes Blarinini, Blarinellini, Anourosoricini, Notiosoricini i Nectogalini, creates Soricinae subfamily, one of three subfamily of Soricid family, next to Crocidurinae and Myosoricinae.

What is more, few researched individuals don't fit former nor latter group, such ones are classified as S. shinto shikokensis.

Wedle niektórych autorów S. shinto sadonis jest genetycznie nieodróżnialny od podgatunku nominatywnego, być może powstały niedawno,[6] inni wskazują na jego odrębność genetyczną od populacji zamieszkującej Honsiu i Shikoku.

Ponadto nieliczne zbadane osobniki nie pasują do żadnej z tych grup, te właśnie tworzą podgatunek S. shinto shikokensis.

[6] Sorex shinto saevus described by Thomas, 1907 from Sakhalin,[11] is nowadays recognized as synonym of long-clawed shrew.

[1] The nominative subspecies dwells in northern and central mountain areas on Honshu, on middle and high altitude.

Sorex shinto shikokensis lives on Shikoku, more precisely in Ishizuchi and Tsurugi Mountains.

Aforementioned Sado Island is home of Sorex shinto sadonis, which is also observed on western Honshu seashore, not only in mountains, but also in lower.

[14] A habitats of shinto shrew are primary and secondary forests,[1] especially coniferous,[6] and shrubland.

Closely related Laxmann's shrew eats spiders, beetles, Oniscidea and caterpillars.

On the other hand, on Shikoku the shinto shrew is rare and can be found only on high latitudes.

[6] IUCN does not mention any threats and classifies the shinto shrew as a species of least concern (LC).