noun
local Shinto deity; tutelary god
Refers to a Shinto deity that protects a specific area, such as a village, town, or region. Often enshrined in a 鎮守社 (chinjusha).
この村の鎮守は、古くから五穀豊穣を祈る神様です。
The tutelary deity of this village has long been prayed to for a bountiful harvest.
鎮守の森は、地域の人々によって大切に
The sacred grove of the local deity has been carefully preserved by the local people.
Composed of 鎮 (chin, 'to pacify, guard') and 守 (shu, 'protect'). The term originally referred to a deity that pacifies and protects a region, a concept imported from Chinese religious thought and adapted into Shinto.