In Shinto, the innermost sanctuary where the kami is enshrined is called the Honden.
The honden, or main sanctuary, is the most sacred building in a Shinto shrine complex. It houses the shrine’s shintai, the sacred object understood to represent or contain the presence of the kami. In many shrines, ordinary visitors do not enter the honden, and it may be partly hidden behind another building or fence.
The layout differs by shrine tradition, region, and historical period. A haiden is usually the worship hall where visitors pray, while the honden is the more restricted inner sanctuary. Some shrines combine functions, and some have unusual layouts, so the visible buildings do not always look identical.
The honden should also be distinguished from a torii, which marks an entrance to sacred space, and a heiden, a hall associated with offerings. Japanese shrine architecture uses several specialized terms, and their exact arrangement can vary while preserving the distinction between public worship and the sacred center.