yashikigami; estate kami; small shrine on residential land
A tutelary kami enshrined on the grounds of a residence or estate, often in a small shrine. The term refers both to the deity itself and to the physical shrine structure.
On the grounds of old farmhouses, a yashikigami is still sometimes enshrined.
Yashikigami have been worshipped as deities that protect the house or land.
Compound of 屋敷 (yashiki, 'residence, estate') and 神 (kami, 'deity, god'). The term reflects the folk practice of enshrining a protective kami within the boundaries of a private property.