Torii
Encyclopedia
A is a traditional Japan
ese gate
most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred (see Sacred-profane dichotomy
). The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps.Buddhist temples are represented with a swastika
. They also have a symbolic gate, which is however very different. On the subject, see the articles Shichidō garan
, Mon (architecture)
, Sōmon
and Sanmon
. They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples
too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple's own shrine, called and usually very small.
Their first appearance in Japan can be reliably pinpointed to at least the mid-Heian period
because they are mentioned in a text written in 922. The oldest extant stone torii was built in the 12th century and belongs to a Hachiman Shrine
in Yamagata prefecture
. The oldest wooden torii is a ryōbu torii (see description below) at Kubō Hachiman Shrine in Yamanashi prefecture
built in 1535.
Torii were traditionally made from wood or stone, but today they can be also made of reinforced concrete, copper, stainless steel or other materials. They are usually either unpainted or painted vermilion
with a black upper lintel. Inari shrine
s typically have many torii because someone who has been successful in business in gratitude often donates a torii to Inari, kami
of fertility and industry. Fushimi Inari-taisha
in Kyoto has thousands of such torii, each bearing the donor's name.
) is almost always straddled by one or more torii, which are therefore the easiest way to distinguish a shrine from a Buddhist temple. If the sandō passes under multiple torii, the outer of them is called . The following ones, closer to the shrine, are usually called, in order, and . Other torii can be found further into the shrine to represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary (honden
), core of the shrine. Also, because of the strong relationship between Shinto shrines and the Japanese Imperial family
, a torii stands also in front of the tombs of each Emperor.
Whether torii existed in Japan before Buddhism or, to the contrary, arrived with it (see section below) is however an open question. In the past torii must have been used also at the entrance of Buddhist temples. Even today, as prominent a temple as Osaka
's Shitennō-ji
, founded in 593 by Shōtoku Taishi and the oldest state-built Buddhist temple in the country, has a torii straddling one of its entrances. (The original wooden torii burned in 1294 and was then replaced by one in stone.) Many Buddhist temples include one or more Shinto shrines dedicated to their tutelary kami
, and in that case a torii marks the shrine's entrance. Benzaiten
is a syncretic
goddess derived from the Indian divinity Sarasvati which unites elements of both Shinto
and Buddhism
. For this reason halls dedicated to her can be found at both temples and shrines, and in either case in front of the hall stands a torii. The goddess herself is sometimes portrayed with a torii on her head (see photo below).
Finally, until the Meiji period
(1868 -1912) torii were routinely adorned with plaques carrying Buddhist sūtras
. The association between Japanese Buddhism and the torii is therefore, old and profound.
Yamabushi
, Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers, sometimes use as their symbol a torii.
The torii is also sometimes used as a symbol of Japan in non-religious contexts. For example, it is the symbol of the 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and of other US forces in Japan.
, China
, Thailand
, Korea
, and within Nicobarese and Shompen
villages—historians believe they may be an imported tradition.
They may for example have originated in India from the torana
gates in the monastery of Sanchi
in central India. According to this theory, the torana was adopted by Shingon Buddhism
founder Kūkai
, who used it to demarcate the sacred space used for the homa
ceremony. The hypothesis arose in the 19th and 20th centuries due to similarities in structure and name between the two gates. Linguistic and historical objections have now emerged, but no conclusion has yet been reached.
In Bangkok
, Thailand, a religious structure called Sao Ching Cha
strongly resembles a torii. Functionally, however, it is very different as it is used as a swing
. During ceremonies Brahmins swing, trying to grab a bag of coins placed on one of the pillars.
Other theories claim torii may be related to the pailou
of China. These structures however can assume a great variety of forms, only some of which actually somewhat resemble a torii.
The Korean hongsalmun
(紅箭門) is the most likely actual relative of the torii.See photos of the Seoul Sajiktan. Structurally, being red and composed by two vertical posts crossed by two horizontal lintels, it strongly resembles it. Hongsalmun also stand free in front or near a sacred location, and are just a symbolic borderline between sacred and profane. The major difference between the two lies in the fact that in Korea the two horizontal lintels do not lie on top of the pillars, but are surpassed in height by them. In spite of these obvious similarities which suggest a relationship, it is still unclear whether this is a case of parallel evolution, or if either one gave birth to the other.
Another hypothesis is based on the religious use of bird perches in Asia. The Korean sotdae
(솟대, see photo below) are poles with one or more wooden birds resting on their top. Commonly found in groups at the entrance of villages together with totem pole
s called jangseung
, they are talisman
s which ward off evil spirits and bring the villagers good luck. "Bird perches" similar in form and function to the sotdae exist also in other shamanistic
cultures in China, Mongolia
and Siberia
. Although they do not look like torii and serve a different function, these "bird perches" show how birds in several Asian cultures are believed to have magic or spiritual properties, and may therefore help explain the enigmatic literal meaning of the torii's name ("bird perch").Torii used to be also called . The presence of the honorific Mi- or Go- makes it likely that by then their use was already associated with shrines.
Various tentative etymologies
of the word torii exist. According to one of them, the name derives from the term . Another takes the name literally: the gate would originally have been some kind of bird perch. Because in Japan birds have long had a connection with the dead, this may mean it was born in connection with some prehistorical funerary rite. Ancient Japanese texts like the Kojiki
and the Nihon Shoki
for example mention how Yamato Takeru
after his death became a white bird and in that form chose a place for his own burial. For this reason, his mausoleum was then called . Many later texts also show some relationship between dead souls and white birds, a link common also in other cultures, shamanic like the Japanese. Bird motives from the Yayoi
and Kofun period
s associating birds with the dead have also been found in several archeological sites. This relationship between birds and death would also explain why, in spite of their name, no visible trace of birds remains in today's torii: birds were symbols of death, which in Shinto brings defilement (kegare
).
Poles believed to have supported wooden bird figures very similar to the sotdae have been found together with wooden birds, and are believed by some historians to have somehow evolved into today's torii. Intriguingly, in both Korea and Japan single poles represent deities (kami in the case of Japan) and is the counter
for kami.
Finally, the possibility that torii are a Japanese invention cannot be discounted. The first torii could have evolved already with their present function through the following sequence of events:
The shinmei torii, whose structure agrees with the historians' reconstruction, consists of just four unbarked and unpainted logs: two vertical pillars topped by a horizontal lintel and kept together by a tie-beam . The pillars may have a slight inward inclination called or just . Its parts are always straight.
tied between them.
All other torii can be divided in two families, the and the .Other ways of classifying torii exist, based for example on the presence or absence of the shimaki. See for example the site Jinja Chishiki. Torii of the first have only straight parts, the second have both straight and curved parts.
in Mie Prefecture
. For this reason, they are also called Jingū torii, from Jingū, Ise Grand Shrine's official Japanese name.
There are two variants. The most common is extremely similar to a shinmei torii, its pillars however have a slight inward inclination and its nuki is kept in place by wedges (kusabi). The kasagi is pentagonal in section (see illustration in the gallery below). The ends of the kasagi are slightly thicker, giving the impression of an upward slant. All these torii were built after the 14th century.
The second type is similar to the first, but has also a secondary, rectangular lintel (shimaki) under the pentagonal kasagi.
This and the shinmei torii style started becoming more popular during the early 20th century at the time of State Shinto
because they were considered the oldest and most prestigious.
The pillars have an inclination and are slightly tapered. The nuki protrudes and is held in place by kusabi driven in on both sides.
This torii was the first to be painted vermilion and to adopt a shimaki at Kasuga Taisha, the shrine from which it takes its name.
. The name comes from the fact that this type of torii is often used at Hachiman shrines.
in Ibaraki Prefecture
.
in Kyoto. The shrine now however uses a torii made of synthetic material which simulates the look of wood.
, is basically a myōjin torii, but the nuki does not protrude from the pillars and the curve made by the two top lintels is more accentuated than usual. The torii at Nakayama Shrine that gives the style its name is 9 m tall and was erected in 1791.
s, but even at the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine not all torii are in this style. This style first appeared during the late Heian period.
near Lake Biwa.
. The famous torii rising from the water at Itsukushima is a ryōbu torii, and the shrine used to be also a Shingon Buddhist temple
, so much so that it still has a pagoda
.
, and a city-designated Important Cultural Property
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred (see Sacred-profane dichotomy
Sacred-profane dichotomy
French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane to be the central characteristic of religion: "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden." In Durkheim's theory, the...
). The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps.Buddhist temples are represented with a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
. They also have a symbolic gate, which is however very different. On the subject, see the articles Shichidō garan
Shichidō garan
is a Japanese Buddhist term indicating the seven halls composing the ideal Buddhist temple compound. This compound word is composed by the word , literally meaning "seven halls", and , meaning "temple". The term is often shortened to just garan. To which seven halls the term refers to varies, and...
, Mon (architecture)
Mon (architecture)
is a generic Japanese term for gate often used, either alone or as a suffix, in referring to the many gates used by Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and traditional-style buildings and castles.-Significance:...
, Sōmon
Sōmon
The is the gate at the entrance of a Buddhist temple in Japan.. It often precedes the bigger and more important sanmon....
and Sanmon
Sanmon
A , also called is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be however often found in temples of other denominations too...
. They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples
Buddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple's own shrine, called and usually very small.
Their first appearance in Japan can be reliably pinpointed to at least the mid-Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
because they are mentioned in a text written in 922. The oldest extant stone torii was built in the 12th century and belongs to a Hachiman Shrine
Hachiman Shrine
A is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami Hachiman. It is the second most numerous type of Shinto shrine after those dedicated to Inari.Originally the name was read Yawata or Yahata, a reading still used in some occasions.-Famous Hachiman shrines:...
in Yamagata prefecture
Yamagata Prefecture
-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
. The oldest wooden torii is a ryōbu torii (see description below) at Kubō Hachiman Shrine in Yamanashi prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
built in 1535.
Torii were traditionally made from wood or stone, but today they can be also made of reinforced concrete, copper, stainless steel or other materials. They are usually either unpainted or painted vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
with a black upper lintel. Inari shrine
Inari Shrine
is a shinto shrine to worship the god Inari. There are many Inari shrines in Japan. The deity is worshiped also in some Buddhist temples.-Shrines and offerings:Inari is a popular deity with shrines and Buddhist temples located throughout most of Japan...
s typically have many torii because someone who has been successful in business in gratitude often donates a torii to Inari, kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
of fertility and industry. Fushimi Inari-taisha
Fushimi Inari-taisha
is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines....
in Kyoto has thousands of such torii, each bearing the donor's name.
Meaning and uses of torii
The function of a torii is to mark the entrance to a sacred space. For this reason, the road leading to a Shinto shrine (sandōSandō
A in Japanese architecture is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory...
) is almost always straddled by one or more torii, which are therefore the easiest way to distinguish a shrine from a Buddhist temple. If the sandō passes under multiple torii, the outer of them is called . The following ones, closer to the shrine, are usually called, in order, and . Other torii can be found further into the shrine to represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary (honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
), core of the shrine. Also, because of the strong relationship between Shinto shrines and the Japanese Imperial family
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...
, a torii stands also in front of the tombs of each Emperor.
Whether torii existed in Japan before Buddhism or, to the contrary, arrived with it (see section below) is however an open question. In the past torii must have been used also at the entrance of Buddhist temples. Even today, as prominent a temple as Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
's Shitennō-ji
Shitenno-ji
is a Buddhist temple in Osaka, Japan.Prince Shōtoku is said to have constructed this temple in 593. It is the first Buddhist and oldest officially administered temple in Japan, although the temple buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries. Most of the present structures are from when the...
, founded in 593 by Shōtoku Taishi and the oldest state-built Buddhist temple in the country, has a torii straddling one of its entrances. (The original wooden torii burned in 1294 and was then replaced by one in stone.) Many Buddhist temples include one or more Shinto shrines dedicated to their tutelary kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, and in that case a torii marks the shrine's entrance. Benzaiten
Benzaiten
Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries, mainly via the Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light, which has a section devoted to her...
is a syncretic
Shinbutsu Shugo
, literally "syncretism of kami and buddhas" is the syncretism of Buddhism and kami worship which was Japan's religion until the Meiji period...
goddess derived from the Indian divinity Sarasvati which unites elements of both Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. For this reason halls dedicated to her can be found at both temples and shrines, and in either case in front of the hall stands a torii. The goddess herself is sometimes portrayed with a torii on her head (see photo below).
Finally, until the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
(1868 -1912) torii were routinely adorned with plaques carrying Buddhist sūtras
Sutras
Sutras may refer to:*Sūtra - A type of literary composition in Buddhism and Hinduism*Sutras - An album by 1960s rock musician Donovan...
. The association between Japanese Buddhism and the torii is therefore, old and profound.
Yamabushi
Yamabushi
' are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, with Tendai and Shinto elements...
, Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers, sometimes use as their symbol a torii.
The torii is also sometimes used as a symbol of Japan in non-religious contexts. For example, it is the symbol of the 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and of other US forces in Japan.
Origins
The origins of the torii are unknown and there are several different theories on the subject, none of which has gained universal acceptance. Because the use of symbolic gates is widespread in Asia—such structures can be found for example in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and within Nicobarese and Shompen
Shompen
The Shompen or Shom Pen are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.- Etymology and autonym :...
villages—historians believe they may be an imported tradition.
They may for example have originated in India from the torana
Torana
For the Australian car, see Holden Torana.A torana is a type of gateway seen in the Hindu and Buddhist architecture of the Indian subcontinent.-Meaning and uses of torana:...
gates in the monastery of Sanchi
Sanchi
Sanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd...
in central India. According to this theory, the torana was adopted by Shingon Buddhism
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
founder Kūkai
Kukai
Kūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....
, who used it to demarcate the sacred space used for the homa
Homa (ritual)
Homa is a Sanskrit word which refers to any ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action...
ceremony. The hypothesis arose in the 19th and 20th centuries due to similarities in structure and name between the two gates. Linguistic and historical objections have now emerged, but no conclusion has yet been reached.
In Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand, a religious structure called Sao Ching Cha
Giant Swing
The Giant Swing is a religious structure in Bangkok, Thailand, Phra Nakhon district, located in front of Wat Suthat temple. It was formerly used an old Brahmin ceremony, and is one of Bangkok's tourist attractions.-History:...
strongly resembles a torii. Functionally, however, it is very different as it is used as a swing
Swing (seat)
A swing is a hanging seat, usually found at playgrounds for children, a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a...
. During ceremonies Brahmins swing, trying to grab a bag of coins placed on one of the pillars.
Other theories claim torii may be related to the pailou
Paifang
Paifang, also called pailou, is a traditional Chinese architectural gating style as an archway.The word paifang originally was a collective term used to describe the top two levels of administrative division and subdivisions of ancient Chinese city. The largest division within a city in ancient...
of China. These structures however can assume a great variety of forms, only some of which actually somewhat resemble a torii.
The Korean hongsalmun
Hongsalmun
Hongsalmun is an architecture built as a gate for entering a sacred place in Korea. It is arranged by 2 round poles and 2 horizontal lines. It has no roof and door-gate and placed on the middle top gate there is a symbol of the trisula and the taegeuk image...
(紅箭門) is the most likely actual relative of the torii.See photos of the Seoul Sajiktan. Structurally, being red and composed by two vertical posts crossed by two horizontal lintels, it strongly resembles it. Hongsalmun also stand free in front or near a sacred location, and are just a symbolic borderline between sacred and profane. The major difference between the two lies in the fact that in Korea the two horizontal lintels do not lie on top of the pillars, but are surpassed in height by them. In spite of these obvious similarities which suggest a relationship, it is still unclear whether this is a case of parallel evolution, or if either one gave birth to the other.
Another hypothesis is based on the religious use of bird perches in Asia. The Korean sotdae
Sotdae
A sotdae is a tall wooden pole or stone pillar with a carved bird on its top, built for the purpose of folk belief in Korea. Like jangseung, wooden totem poles with a sculptured human face, it was usually erected near the entrance of a village to ward off evil spirits as well as to represent...
(솟대, see photo below) are poles with one or more wooden birds resting on their top. Commonly found in groups at the entrance of villages together with totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s called jangseung
Jangseung
A jangseung or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark for village boundaries and frighten away demons...
, they are talisman
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s which ward off evil spirits and bring the villagers good luck. "Bird perches" similar in form and function to the sotdae exist also in other shamanistic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
cultures in China, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Although they do not look like torii and serve a different function, these "bird perches" show how birds in several Asian cultures are believed to have magic or spiritual properties, and may therefore help explain the enigmatic literal meaning of the torii's name ("bird perch").Torii used to be also called . The presence of the honorific Mi- or Go- makes it likely that by then their use was already associated with shrines.
Various tentative etymologies
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the word torii exist. According to one of them, the name derives from the term . Another takes the name literally: the gate would originally have been some kind of bird perch. Because in Japan birds have long had a connection with the dead, this may mean it was born in connection with some prehistorical funerary rite. Ancient Japanese texts like the Kojiki
Kojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
and the Nihon Shoki
Nihon Shoki
The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...
for example mention how Yamato Takeru
Yamato Takeru
, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
after his death became a white bird and in that form chose a place for his own burial. For this reason, his mausoleum was then called . Many later texts also show some relationship between dead souls and white birds, a link common also in other cultures, shamanic like the Japanese. Bird motives from the Yayoi
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
and Kofun period
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
s associating birds with the dead have also been found in several archeological sites. This relationship between birds and death would also explain why, in spite of their name, no visible trace of birds remains in today's torii: birds were symbols of death, which in Shinto brings defilement (kegare
Kegare
is the Japanese term for a state of pollution and defilement, important particularly in Shinto as a religious term. Typical causes of kegare are the contact with any form of death, childbirth , disease and menstruation. In Shinto kegare is a form of tsumi , which needs to be somehow remedied by the...
).
Poles believed to have supported wooden bird figures very similar to the sotdae have been found together with wooden birds, and are believed by some historians to have somehow evolved into today's torii. Intriguingly, in both Korea and Japan single poles represent deities (kami in the case of Japan) and is the counter
Japanese counter word
In Japanese, counter words or counters are used along with numbers to count things, actions, and events.In Japanese, as in Chinese and Korean, numerals cannot quantify nouns by themselves...
for kami.
Finally, the possibility that torii are a Japanese invention cannot be discounted. The first torii could have evolved already with their present function through the following sequence of events:
- Four posts were placed at the corners of a sacred area and connected with a rope, thus dividing sacred and mundane.
- Two taller posts were then placed at the center of the most auspicious direction, to let the priest in.
- A rope was tied from one post to the other to mark the border between the outside and the inside, the sacred and the mundane. This hypothetical stage corresponds to a type of torii in actual use, the so-called , an example of which can be seen in front of Ōmiwa ShrineŌmiwa Shrine, also known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara, Japan. The shrine is noted because it contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a , but no . In this sense, it is a model of what the...
's haidenHaiden (Shinto)In Shinto shrine architecture, the is the hall of worship or oratory. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings...
in Kyoto (see also the photo in the gallery). - The rope was replaced by a lintel.
- Because the gate was structurally weak, it was reinforced with a tie-beam, and what is today called or (see illustration above) was born. This theory however does nothing to explain how the gates got their name.
The shinmei torii, whose structure agrees with the historians' reconstruction, consists of just four unbarked and unpainted logs: two vertical pillars topped by a horizontal lintel and kept together by a tie-beam . The pillars may have a slight inward inclination called or just . Its parts are always straight.
Torii parts and ornamentations
- Torii may be unpainted or painted vermilion and black. The color black is limited to the kasagi and the . Very rarely torii can be found also in other colors. KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
's Kamakura-gūKamakura-guis a shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was erected by Emperor Meiji in 1869 to worship the spirit of Prince Morinaga, who was imprisoned and later executed where the shrine now stands in 1335...
for example has a white and red one. - The kasagi may be reinforced underneath by a second horizontal lintel called .
- Kasagi and the shimaki may have an upward curve called .
- The nuki is often held in place by wedges . The kusabi in many cases are purely ornamental.
- At the center of the nuki there may be a supporting strut called , sometimes covered by a tablet carrying the name of the shrine (see photo in the gallery).
- The pillars often rest on a white stone ring called or . The stone is sometimes replaced by a decorative black sleeve called .
- At the top of the pillars there may be a decorative ring called .
- The gate has a purely symbolic function and therefore there usually are no doors or board fences, but exceptions exist, as for example in the case of Ōmiwa ShrineŌmiwa Shrine, also known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara, Japan. The shrine is noted because it contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a , but no . In this sense, it is a model of what the...
's triple-arched torii (miwa torii, see below).
Torii styles
Structurally, the simplest is the (see illustration below).The two names are simply different readings of the same characters. Probably one of the oldest types of torii, it consists of two posts with a sacred rope called shimenawaShimenawa
Shimenawa are lengths of braided rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. They can vary in diameter from a few centimetres to several metres, and are often seen festooned with shide...
tied between them.
All other torii can be divided in two families, the and the .Other ways of classifying torii exist, based for example on the presence or absence of the shimaki. See for example the site Jinja Chishiki. Torii of the first have only straight parts, the second have both straight and curved parts.
Torii of the shinmei family
The shinmei torii and its variants are characterized by a straight upper lintels.Shinmei torii
The , which gives the name to the family, is constituted solely by a lintel (kasagi) and two pillars (hashira) united by a tie beam (nuki). In its simplest form, all four elements are rounded and the pillars have no inclination. When the nuki is rectangular in section, it is called Yasukuni torii, from Tokyo's Yasukuni Jinja. It is believed to be the oldest torii style.Ise torii
(see illustration above) are gates found only at the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine at Ise ShrineIse Shrine
is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....
in Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
. For this reason, they are also called Jingū torii, from Jingū, Ise Grand Shrine's official Japanese name.
There are two variants. The most common is extremely similar to a shinmei torii, its pillars however have a slight inward inclination and its nuki is kept in place by wedges (kusabi). The kasagi is pentagonal in section (see illustration in the gallery below). The ends of the kasagi are slightly thicker, giving the impression of an upward slant. All these torii were built after the 14th century.
The second type is similar to the first, but has also a secondary, rectangular lintel (shimaki) under the pentagonal kasagi.
This and the shinmei torii style started becoming more popular during the early 20th century at the time of State Shinto
State Shinto
has been called the state religion of the Empire of Japan, although it did not exist as a single institution and no "Shintō" was ever declared a state religion...
because they were considered the oldest and most prestigious.
Kasuga torii
The is a myōjin torii (see illustration above) with straight top lintels. The style takes its name from Kasuga-taisha's , or main torii.The pillars have an inclination and are slightly tapered. The nuki protrudes and is held in place by kusabi driven in on both sides.
This torii was the first to be painted vermilion and to adopt a shimaki at Kasuga Taisha, the shrine from which it takes its name.
Hachiman torii
Almost identical to a kasuga torii (see illustration above), but with the two upper lintels at a slant, the first appeared during the Heian periodHeian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. The name comes from the fact that this type of torii is often used at Hachiman shrines.
Kashima torii
The (see illustration above) is a shinmei torii without korobi, with kusabi and a protruding nuki. It takes its name from Kashima ShrineKashima Shrine
Kashima Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the Shinto kami Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto , one of the patron deities of martial arts. Dojo of kenjutsu and kendo sometimes display a kakejiku emblazoned with Kashima Taishin...
in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
.
Kuroki torii
The is a shinmei torii built with unbarked wood. Because this type of torii requires replacement at three years intervals, it is becoming rare. The most notorious example is Nonomiya ShrineNonomiya Shrine
, or the Shrine in the Country, is a Shinto shrine in the Arashiyama district on the west side of the city of Kyoto in Kyoto prefecture, Japan...
in Kyoto. The shrine now however uses a torii made of synthetic material which simulates the look of wood.
Shiromaruta torii
The or is a shinmei torii made with logs from which bark has been removed. This type of torii is present at the tombs of all Emperors of Japan.Mihashira torii
The (see illustration above) is a type of torii which appears to be formed from three individual torii (see gallery). It is thought by some to have been built by early Japanese Christians to represent the Holy Trinity.Torii of the myōjin family
The myōjin torii and its variants are characterized by curved lintels.Myōjin torii
The , by far the most common torii style, are characterized by curved upper lintels (kasagi and shimaki). Both curve slightly upwards. Kusabi are present. A myōjin torii can be made of wood, stone, concrete or other materials and be vermilion or unpainted.Nakayama torii
The style, which takes its name from Nakayama Jinja in Okayama PrefectureOkayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
, is basically a myōjin torii, but the nuki does not protrude from the pillars and the curve made by the two top lintels is more accentuated than usual. The torii at Nakayama Shrine that gives the style its name is 9 m tall and was erected in 1791.
Daiwa / Inari torii
The (see illustration above) is a myōjin torii with two rings called daiwa at the top of the two pillars. The name "Inari torii" comes from the fact that vermilion daiwa torii tend to be common at Inari shrineInari Shrine
is a shinto shrine to worship the god Inari. There are many Inari shrines in Japan. The deity is worshiped also in some Buddhist temples.-Shrines and offerings:Inari is a popular deity with shrines and Buddhist temples located throughout most of Japan...
s, but even at the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine not all torii are in this style. This style first appeared during the late Heian period.
Sannō torii
The (see photo below) is myōjin torii with a gable over the two top lintels. The best example of this style is found at Hiyoshi ShrineHiyoshi Shrine
, also known as or Hie jinja, is a Shinto shrine located at Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan...
near Lake Biwa.
Miwa torii
Also called , or (see illustration above), the is composed of three myōjin torii without inclination of the pillars. It can be found with or without doors. The most famous one is at Ōmiwa Shrine, in Nara, from which it takes its name.Ryōbu torii
Also called , or , the is a daiwa torii whose pillars are reinforced on both sides by square posts (see illustration above). The name derives from its long association with Ryōbu Shintō, a current of thought within Shingon BuddhismShingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
. The famous torii rising from the water at Itsukushima is a ryōbu torii, and the shrine used to be also a Shingon Buddhist temple
Buddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
, so much so that it still has a pagoda
Tō
The , sometimes also called or is the Japanese version of the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa. Pagodas are quintessentially Buddhist and an important component of Japanese Buddhist temple compounds but, because until the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868 a...
.
Hizen torii
The is an unusual type of torii with a rounded kasagi and pillars that flare downwards. The example in the gallery below is the main torii at Chiriku Hachimangū in Saga prefectureSaga Prefecture
is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
, and a city-designated Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
.