Honden

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In Shinto shrines, the honden (本殿, "main building") is the most sacred area, intended purely for the use of the kami. This is usually closed to the general public; the priests themselves enter only to perform rituals.

Physically, the honden is the heart of the shrine complex, connected to the rest of the shrine but usually raised above it, and protected from public access by its own fence. It usually resembles a small shrine building, complete with sloping roof, walls, and its own doors, which are usually kept closed except at religious festivals.

At the heart of the honden is the goshintai (御神体, "honored god-body"), in which the kami is said to reside. This may be a rock, a statue or (most commonly in recent shrines) a mirror.

Occasionally, the honden may enshrine more than one kami, or a composite kami, mother and child.