The Tori

The entrance to Shinto shrines is marked by large door-shaped structures. These are known as “tori” in Japanese.

The Tori

The standard torii door consists of two high pillars, with a large horizontal crossbar connecting the two. Sometimes several torii follow each other on the path leading to the sanctuary.

You will sometimes see Buddhist temples with torii however, the door-shaped structures of temples are different from the Shinto tori generally called “sanmon”.

As mentioned above, the torii are most often seen in Shinto shrines. Shrines are thought to be the place where the gods of Japan reside, and torii mark the separation between the sacred sanctuary and the human world. In other words, the torii are the front door of the house of the gods.

Visitors often bow to a torii when visiting a sanctuary to show respect for the sacred character of the sanctuary. They bow again just before going back through the torii.

Origin of Torii in Japan

There are different theories about the origins of torii. One of the best known comes from Japanese mythology.

In Japanese mythology, there is a story called Ama-no-iwato. After a few struggles with her family, the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu, locked himself in a cave called Ama-no-iwato, thus plunged the world into darkness. The other gods and goddesses did everything they could to try to pull Amaterasu out of the cave. After many attempts, they managed to get her out.

It is thought that the deities of Japan reside beyond the tree near the place where the birds sit, hence the name “tori”. Torii is written with the characters for “bird” and “resident” in kanji characters.

The use of symbolic doors is widespread in Asia. Such structures can be found, for example, in India, China, Thailand, Korea and Nicobars (India). Historians believe that this can be an imported tradition.

Types of tori

There are a wide variety of torii styles with many substyles, as well as unique torii. The most common style is known as Myojin Torii. They have a curved upper lintel up, known as kasagi, and a common sub-style is Ryobu which has a pair of small pillars supporting the main pillars.

Another major style is the Shinmei, with sizes, hashira and straight ties. The Tori of this style became very popular with the rise of state Shintoism because of their connection to imperial sites.

Another type of tori must be mentioned. Driving in the countryside, you may see small vermilion torii at the side of the road. They can actually mark a small altar, but often they’re just a warning not to dump garbage.

Famous Torii Gates in Japan

Of all the shrines in Japan, with their respective torii, these three shrine doors are the most famous.

Tori from Kinpusen-ji temple, Nara

This torii is located at Kinpusen-ji temple (a Shinto temple and Buddhist syncretic) opposite the Zao-do Hall in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. It has been recognized as an important cultural asset in Japan and is eight metres high.

Great Tori Vermilion of Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima

This brilliant 16-metre-high vermilion red torii stands in the water of the Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture. One of Japan’s most famous images, the current torii is actually the eighth generation of the sanctuary gate, having been built in 1875. This tori was not only recognized as an important cultural asset in Japan, but also as a UNESCO world heritage.

Shitenno-ji Shrine Stone Tori, Osaka

This 8.5-metre-high torii is located at Shitenno-ji Temple in Tennoji, Osaka, Osaka. Built in 1294, this sanctuary is Japan’s oldest stone torii and is registered as an important cultural property.

Senbon Tori of the Shrine Fushimi Inari, Kyoto

These torii follow the path to the mountain, which lies at the border between our world and the kingdom of the dead, which is why there are so many doors along this road. This series of torii was consecrated by the worshipers of the Edo Sanctuary in the Meiji era. It is said that there are about ten thousand sanctuary gates located in the great sanctuary of Fushimi Inari.

Meoto Iwa, Shrine Futami Okitama, Mie

The Meoto Iwa or “married couple stones” are located in Futamicho, Ise, Mie, near the shrine of Futami Okitama. Not strictly in the form of a standard sanctuary gate, these rocks are considered as a boundary between the interior of a Shinto shrine and the rest of the world.

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