Literally, "branch shrine," a term used to describe a smaller auxiliary shrine located on the precincts of a larger shrine. Also called an edamiya, a shrine whose object of worship, in turn, is referred to as an edagami. The term edagami originally referred to a kami possessing a special relationship or affinity to the main kami of a shrine, but it later came to refer to all the kami of whatever auxiliary shrines (sessha, massha) might be found within a larger shrine complex. As a result, edayashiro is used today as a general synonym for sessha, massha and other "subsidiary" shrines. An early occurrence of the term edagami can be found in the Toyukegū gishikichō , a Heian-period work describing ritual at the Grand Shrines of Ise. See also sessha, massha.