Also *yasaka-zukuri 祇園造. A style of shrine architecture which began in the 10th-11th century, and included both a sanctuary and worship space that closely resembles the main hall *hondō 本堂 of a Buddhist temple. Its complicated arrangement is referred to as the four-sided *hisashi 廂 plan because the 5 x 2 bay core *moya 母屋 is surrounded by a one-bay-deep aisle hisashi. Extending along the hisashi on all four sides is the addition of another one-bay-deep aisle *magobisashi 孫廂. Beyond the ishi-no-ma 石の間, a stone-floored area, is between the step canopy *kōhai 向拝, 5-bays wide across the front and the *haiden 拝殿, a hall for worship.
Some scholars believe that this style reflects the strong influence that esoteric Buddhism exerted on shrine architecture during the time when Shinto was absorbing many tenets from the Tendai 天台 and Shingon 真言 sects. One of the influences is the efficacy of prayers chanted while circumambulating the core of the building which in Buddhist halls contained the altar and sacred mandalas and/or images *jōgyōdō 常行堂.
Circumambulation was once a part of religious rites at Kibitsu Jinja 吉備津神社 in Okayama Prefecture. However, other scholars suggest that in very ancient times, areas with a central focal point, such as a sacred pillar, were enclosed on four sides and utilized a ceremonial dance that entailed circumambulation. Examples: Kitano Tenmangū 北野天満宮, Yasaka Jinja Honden 八坂神社本殿, both in Kyoto; Munakata Jinja Honden 宗像神社本殿 in Fukuoka Prefecture; and Kumano Nimasu Jinja Honden 熊野坐神社本殿 in Wakayama Prefecture.