noun
shrine honoring war dead
A Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of those who died in war, often for a specific region or prefecture. Similar to Yasukuni Shrine but usually on a local scale.
毎年、地元の護国神社で戦没者の慰霊祭が行われる。
Every year, a memorial service for the war dead is held at the local Gokoku Shrine.
Yasukuni Shrine is the national-level shrine honoring Japan's war dead, while 護国神社 are regional equivalents found in many prefectures.
From 護国 (gokoku, 'defense of the country') + 神社 (jinja, 'Shinto shrine').