subordinate shrine; branch shrine
A smaller shrine under the authority of a main shrine (本社). Used in Shinto contexts.
See also: 本社
professional entertainer; low-ranking entertainer
Historical term for a low-ranking entertainer who performed at parties, often associated with 太鼓持ち (taiko-mochi). Rare in modern usage.
See also: 太鼓持ち
This shrine was built as a subordinate shrine of the main shrine.
In the Edo period, professional entertainers performed at banquets.
From 末 (matsu, 'end, lower') + 社 (sha, 'shrine'). The entertainer sense is a historical extension, possibly from the idea of a low-ranking position.