Discussion

Gateways to Sacred Grounds

No one knows when they were first created or the reason why, though it is a fair guess that the reason is the same as the explanation for their existence today. The earliest mention of them in writing is in a Heian Period (794 – 1185) document written in 922. As symbols representative of Japan, they are as iconic as Mt. Fuji, kimono-clad women, tea gardens, cherry trees in bloom, and Hokusai's Great Wave. They are torii.

The torii above stands at the entrance of Kyōto's Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Some scholars speculate that Japan's torii began as simple posts on each side of entrances to sacred grounds occupied by Shintō shrines. Ropes were strung overhead between the posts to create symbolical gateways. Such simple structures still exist in some places today, like this one at Ōmiwa jinja, Japan's oldest surviving Shintō shrine, located near Nara.

The ropes, called shimenawa, are made of braded rice straw. Sometimes shide are hung from them.

Shide, made of white (ususally) folded washi, are symbols of purity and a barrier to evil spirits.

Other scholars speculate that torii are elegant Japanese adaptations of gateway structures from other Eastern countries. The two shown below are from India (on the left) and China (on the right).

Whatever their origin, torii are very common in Japan today. There are approximately 80,000 Shintō shrines in Japan (some sources say 90,000), and nearly all of them have at least one torii at the entrance. Some shrines have a lot more than one. Jintoku Inari Shrine at the southern tip of Kyūshū, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, has a pathway lined with 100 torii.

Takayama Inari Shrine at the northernmost part of Honshu, Japan's largest island, has about 1,000 torii on a pathway bordering a forest at the edge of its gardens.

The grounds of Kyōto's Fushimi Inari Shrine, shown at the beginning of this unit, encompasses sacred Mt. Inari. Trails wending through the mountain's forests to the peak are straddled by torii, creating virtual torii tunnels. At one point in the trail system, torii tunnels enclose parallel paths.

Altogether, Fushimi Inari's trail system has roughly 10,000 torii. Here is a trail map of the system. It can be clearly seen that there is room for more if one is in the mood to sponsor one. Businesses, other organizations, and sometimes individuals often do. The  names of the donors are printed on the backside of the supporting pillars. 

It doesn't require large numbers to make torii impressive. The simplicity of the design matters as does the beauty of the location. One of the most famous solo torii is found at Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima, just offshore from Itsukushima Shrine, a highly popular tourist attraction. 

At low tide, one can walk to the torii for a very different perspective. 

Most torii are colored red or vermillion, but not all. They didn't start that way. It is believed that the most common color was originally white. The red color came from a partial melding of Japan's native Shintō religion and Buddhism centuries after they first appeared. Red in Buddhism represents a sacred atmosphere and vital force. It also wards off evil spirits. Red coloring isn't a rule, however. White ones are making a comeback. The torii below is located at Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park in Hokkaidō. It was painted the same color as shibazakura (pink moss or phlox moss) when in bloom. May is the best month to view them.

Note that this torii features a shimenawa. It looks like it has shide hanging from it, too.

Here is another unconventional torii, this time made of some transparent material. It is located at the Jintoku Inari Shrine by the 100 torii path.

Note the two fox (kitsune) statues flanking the gate. Roughly a third of Japan's shrines are dedicated to Inari, the Shintō God (Ōkami) of harvests. Inari is also the kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, agriculture and industry, and prosperity in general. It is very common to see kitsune statues on the grounds of Inari shrines.

There are many different torii designs--some say as many as 60--but they tend to be grouped into two general families. The basic shape of the simpler and probably older design family is called Shinmei. Here is a simple diagram.

The kasagi is straight and the hashira are vertical. The nuki may or may not stick out from the sides of the hashira. It is rare for Shinmei torii to bear the names of the shrines they are attached to.

The other major family of shrines is called Myojin. A more detailed diagram of Myojin torii is given below.

The kasagi of Myojin torii are always curved upward at the ends, and the hashira usually slant inward. Most have the names of associated shrines on a sign (shingaku) mounted on the gakutsuka, a structural element. 

As mentioned above, there are a lot of variations in torii design. Many have their own names.

Torii are not always located at Shintō shrines as can be seen in the photo of the pink torii at Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park above. Any location of special significance will do. Places that arouse emotional responses because of their sheer beauty are perfect.

Artwork

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)

Following in Hokusai's footsteps, Hiroshige was another great Japanese ukiyo-e landscape artist. Torii were featured in many of his prints, two of which are shown here. The first is from Hiroshige's famous series, Fifty-three Stations on the Tōkaidō (Eastern sea road), printed in 1833 - 1834. The sixth station at Fujisawa (the seventh print in the series) is shown here.

Many years later, Hiroshige printed another travel series titled Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces (1853). Number 47 of that series depicts the Tanokuchi Coast in Bizen Province.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798 – 1861)

Kuniyoshi is noted for painting a broad range of subjects. On occasion, he did landscapes, too. Perhaps seascape would be a better term for his ukiyo-e print depicting the torii at Miyajima. Compare it with the Miyajima torii photo above. The formal title is Itsukushima Shrine at Evening and was painted in the 1839 - 1840 time period.