noun
small wayside shrine; hokora
A small Shinto shrine, often found along roadsides, in fields, or within the grounds of a larger shrine. The term 'hokora' is sometimes used in English texts about Japanese culture.
村の入り口に古い祠がある。
There is an old small shrine at the entrance of the village.
道端の祠に手を合わせた。
I put my hands together in prayer at the wayside shrine.
神社 is a general term for a Shinto shrine, usually larger and with a resident priest, while 祠 refers specifically to a very small, often unattended shrine.
The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the word ほくら (hokura), meaning a storehouse or repository for sacred objects. The kanji 祠 is used specifically for small shrines.