also: さんじゃ
three shrines; the three major Shinto shrines
Shinto term referring to a set of three important shrines, often Ise Grand Shrine, Iwashimizu Hachimangū, and Kamo Shrine, or Kasuga Grand Shrine. Reading さんじゃ is sometimes used in this context.
The three-shrine pilgrimage is a traditional pilgrimage visiting Ise Grand Shrine, Iwashimizu Hachimangū, and Kamo Shrine.
three companies
Only with reading さんしゃ
Common business term for three companies, often used in contexts like joint ventures, comparisons, or groupings. Only read as さんしゃ.
The merger of the three companies was announced.
三者 and 三社 are pronounced identically (さんしゃ), but 三者 means three people/parties while 三社 means three companies or shrines.
Standard kanji spelling for both senses; reading さんしゃ is the primary reading.
Alternate reading used in some Shinto contexts, especially for the three-shrine grouping.
Compound of 三 (three) and 社 (shrine or company). The Shinto sense is a specific historical grouping; the business sense is a straightforward modern usage.