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.
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.
Rarely used kanji form; the first character means 'thicket' and is not common in modern writing.
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.