It normally consists of a connecting section linking the honden (sanctuary, closed to the public) to the haiden (oratory).
[2] If the shrine is built in the Ishi-no-ma-zukuri style,[3] its stone pavement is lower than the floor of the other two rooms, and it is called ishi-no-ma (石の間, stone room), hence the name.
[4] It can also be called chūden (中殿) or in other ways, and its position can sometimes vary.
The size of the heiden also varies considerably and there are some exceptions regarding its location.
For example, the Naikū heiden at Ise Shrine is located beyond the four walls that surround the sacred quarter.