Also called raihaidō 礼拝堂. A worship hall. When Buddhist temples were constructed during the 7th-8th century, the masses worshipped in the open, in front of the hall containing the sacred images. For example, the reconstructed *Kondō 金堂 at Hōryūji 法隆寺 (dedicated in 693), contains no interior space for the lay people to enter for worship purposes. Sometime during the Nara period, a separate building, the same length as the image hall, was built as a place for lay people to worship. This building is called the Raidō and the image hall is called *shōdō 正堂; the twin building style is called *narabidō 双堂. Eventually, one roof was constructed over the shōdō and raidō duriing the Heian period. The sacred area became known as the inner sanctuary and called *naijin 内陣. The outer part was often called *gejin 外陣, but the term raidō was never entirely abandoned. The shōdō and separate raidō no longer exist but the refectory *Jikidō 食堂 (Nara period) and the separate *Hosodono 細殿 (ca.1269) are extant. The Taimadera *Mandaradō 当麻寺曼荼羅堂 (1161) demonstrates the successful construction of an enormous roof over the naijin and raidō. In this twin building arrangement, floors were usually made of wood. Minami Hokkeji 南法華寺 (Muromachi period) Nara, has a building called Raidō that is 5 x 4 bays, 17.73 m x 13.89 m. According to the Jūyō Bunkazai 重要文化財 (vol.12 Kenzōbutsu 建造物 1 p.72#211), it was formerly the raidō in front of the *hondō 本堂 that was an octagonal building *hakkaku endō 八角円堂. During the Shōwa period, it was restored to its present form.