medō 馬道

A roofed passageway that runs from front to back in a long building. One example separates the *Shariden 舎利殿 and Eden 絵殿 in the east precinct at Hōryūji Tōin 法隆寺東院, Nara. The back and front ends of the passage are open and may have a wooden or hard packed earthen floor. Medō are not restricted to temple buildings but also join separate worship halls *warihaiden 割拝殿 at Shinto shrines, as for example, at Isonokami Jingū 石上神宮, Nara.