In Shinto shrine architecture, the haiden is the worship hall where visitors present offerings and prayers.
A typical shrine complex separates public worship from the most sacred space. The haiden is generally placed in front of, or near, the honden, the main sanctuary where the kami’s sacred object is enshrined. Worshippers usually stop at the haiden to bow, clap, pray, and make offerings rather than entering the honden.
Terminology can vary with shrine layout, size, and historical tradition. The haiden is not the same as a torii, which marks an entrance or transition into a sacred precinct, nor a heiden, a hall or space associated with offerings. Some shrines combine buildings or use distinctive arrangements, but the haiden remains the standard term for the public worship hall.