nainaijin 内内陣

1　A miniature shrine within the sanctuary of a Shinto shrine.

2　The innermost sanctuary of a Shinto shrine. An interesting example is at Kibitsu Jinja 吉備津神社 (1425) in Okayama Prefecture. At this shrine the main worship hall *honden 本殿, is much larger than usual and the interior space is divided into several tiers with the sanctuary *naijin 内陣, and the innermost sanctuary nainaijin, on the highest level. The nainaijin is 3 × 2 bays and the naijin is 3 × 1 bay. The latter is approached on three sides by a number of steps. The nainaijin and naijin combine to form the sacred nucleus of the shrine. The people worship in a forehall called a *haiden 拝殿. The Kibitsu Jinja is surrounded by a 1-bay enclosure with a pent roof *mokoshi 裳階, and has steps that lead from the haiden to the outer sanctuary *gejin 外陣.