noun
shelf for ancestral spirit offerings during Bon
A special shelf set up during the Bon Festival (Obon) to place offerings and welcome the spirits of one's ancestors. This is a culturally specific term.
お盆には精霊棚を設けて、先祖の霊をお迎えします。
During Obon, we set up a spirit shelf to welcome the spirits of our ancestors.
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.
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.