1.
worship hall; hall of worship; oratory
The main hall of a Shinto shrine where visitors pray and make offerings. It stands in front of the main sanctuary and is the building that most visitors interact with — the place where you throw coins, clap your hands, and bow in prayer.
拝殿の前で手を合わせる。
To put one's hands together in prayer before the worship hall.
この神社の拝殿は江戸時代に建てられた。
This shrine's worship hall was built in the Edo period.
初詣で拝殿に向かう長い列ができていた。
A long line of people had formed heading toward the worship hall for the New Year's first shrine visit.
Compound of 拝 ('to worship; to pray') and 殿 ('hall; palace'). In Shinto shrine architecture, the 拝殿 is the public-facing building where worshippers pray. It is distinct from the 本殿 (main sanctuary), which houses the enshrined deity and is usually off-limits to the public.
SHRINE ARCHITECTURE:
- The typical layout places the 拝殿 in front, connected or adjacent to the 本殿 behind it
- Not all shrines have a separate 拝殿 — smaller shrines may have only a 本殿
- The 拝殿 often features a 賽銭箱 (offering box) and 鈴 (bell) at its front
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 拝殿で参拝する: to worship at the hall of worship
- 拝殿の前: in front of the worship hall
- 拝殿に向かって礼をする: to bow toward the worship hall
- 拝殿の建て替え: rebuilding of the worship hall
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 本殿: main sanctuary — the innermost, most sacred building that houses the deity; usually not open to the public
- 社殿: shrine buildings — a collective term for all the buildings in a shrine complex
- 本堂: main hall (Buddhist) — the equivalent central worship building in a Buddhist temple