haraidono 祓殿

Lit. purification hall. Also read haraedono. Also haraidokoro 祓所. A hall where Shinto priests or lay believers perform purification rites. Among the "Requirements for Purification" are: rice wine, cloth, salt, fish, and dried meat among other things. From very ancient times purification has meant removing defilement from the shrine precinct. A reference to the Haraidono at Kasuga Taisha 春日大社 can be found in the Kagerō Nikki 蜻蛉日記 which dates from the late Heian period. Examples: Itsukushima Jinja Honsha Haraidono 厳島神社本社祓殿 (Kamakura period), Hiroshima Prefecture. Itsukushima Jinja Sessha Marōdo Jinga Haraidono 厳島神社摂社客人神社祓殿 (Kamakura period), Hiroshima Prefecture. In both, the rear part of the haraidono joins the roof of the *haiden 拝殿.