神殿
しんでん · shinden · JLPT N1 · noun
temple; sacred place
⛩️ 神殿 = god + palace: a palace where the gods dwell
Shinden splits into 神 (shin, god or spirit) and 殿 (den, palace or hall). Together they name a sacred hall for gods, the core sense of 'temple'.
神 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 申 (lightning, phonetic)
神 combines 示, depicting an altar associated with rituals and spirits, with 申, originally a pictograph of lightning streaking across the sky. Ancient people saw lightning as a manifestation of divine power, so 申 contributes both sound and the idea of awe-inspiring force. Together they mean 'spirit' or 'god'.