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精霊棚 (しょうりょうだな, shouryoudana) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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During Obon, we set up a spirit shelf to welcome the spirits of our ancestors.
Related words 盆ぼん 棚だな 盆棚 is a more general term for the shelf or altar set up during the Bon Festival, while 精霊棚 specifically emphasizes the purpose of welcoming ancestral spirits.
精しょう 霊りょう 馬うま 精霊馬 are cucumber and eggplant animals made as vehicles for the spirits during Obon, often placed on or near the 精霊棚.
Etymology Compound of 精霊 (shōryō, 'spirit of the dead, ancestral spirit') and 棚 (tana, 'shelf'). The reading しょうりょう for 精霊 is a Buddhist term for the spirits of the deceased, particularly during Obon.
