Torii gate: 鳥居 (torii)
A torii gate, 鳥居 (とりい, torii, “torii (Shinto shrine archway)”), is the gate at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. It marks the line between the ordinary world and sacred ground, where a god, or kami, is worshipped.
It has two posts and two beams across the top, and you simply walk through. That is the first step of a shrine visit.
You find a torii at a 神社 (じんじゃ, jinja, “Shinto shrine”), the place where the kami of Shinto (神道 (しんとう, shintō, “Shinto”)) are worshipped. A Buddhist temple, 寺 (てら, tera, “temple (Buddhist)”), is a different kind of place. The torii is usually the simplest way to tell a shrine from a temple.
Torii gate meaning: what does it symbolise?
The Encyclopedia of Shinto at Kokugakuin University describes a torii as a gateway arch signifying the entrance to a sacred area. Japanese Wikipedia calls it a boundary between sacred space and the places where people live.
Many shrines have more than one. The largest, at the start of the approach, is called the "first torii" (ichi no torii). Others mark the way further in. The path that leads you in is the 参道 (さんどう, sandō, “road approaching a shrine”).
English Wikipedia adds that it is a place where kami are welcomed and travel through. Whatever the detail, the idea is a doorway into sacred ground.
What does 鳥居 mean? Bird, and a place to be
Torii is written with two kanji. 鳥 is 鳥 (とり, tori, “bird”). 居 is the kanji in いる (iru, “to be (of animate objects)”), "to be" or "to stay". Together they read as "a place where birds are", and the usual English gloss is "bird perch". New to kanji? Read What is Kanji?.
Nobody knows for certain why the gate has that name. The Kokugakuin encyclopedia says no single theory has gained general acceptance. They include:
- A perch for birds. The name could come from words meaning "bird perch".
- "Pass through and enter." Another idea is that torii comes from a phrase meaning that, in Japanese tōri-iru.
- Foreign origins. Some scholars link the shape to the sacred gateways called torana in India. Others point to gates in China or Korea, or to a Japanese origin.
The earliest reliable written mentions come from the Heian period, in a text from 922, according to English Wikipedia. The oldest surviving stone torii is from the 12th century, and the oldest wooden one from 1535.
The legend of the roosters
There is also a story, and it is a legend. In it, the sun goddess Amaterasu hides in a cave and the world goes dark. The other gods put roosters on a perch and make them crow, to draw her out. The perch is said to be the first torii.
It fits the name, but it is only one theory about the origin. Historians have no proof that the first torii was a perch for roosters.
Shrine vs temple: how to tell them apart
For centuries Shinto and Buddhism were mixed in Japan, so shrines and temples often look alike. Even so, they are two different kinds of place.
| Shinto shrine (神社) | Buddhist temple (寺) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is worshipped | Kami, the gods and spirits of Shinto | The Buddha and Buddhist teachings |
| Entrance sign | A torii, usually the simplest way to spot one | Usually another kind of gate |
| Map symbol | A small torii (⛩) | A manji (卍) |
| Graves | Almost never found at a shrine | Often a graveyard in or beside them |
Japan-guide notes that death is considered impure in Shinto and dealt with mostly by Buddhism, which is why shrines rarely have cemeteries.
A few temples have a torii too, such as Shitennōji in Osaka, so use it as a clue, not a rule. Other clues are a pair of 狛犬 (こまいぬ, komainu, “(stone) guardian lion-dogs at a Shinto shrine”) and a rope that cordons off consecrated areas, the 注連縄 (しめなわ, shimenawa, “rope used to cordon off consecrated areas or as a talisman against evil”).
Why are torii gates red?
Many torii are painted a bright orange red, called vermilion, 朱色 (しゅいろ, shuiro, “vermilion (colour)”). The Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan calls vermilion the iconic colour of Shinto gates and many shrine buildings, and says it was believed to ward off evil spirits.
Japanese Wikipedia gives the same reasons: old beliefs held that this colour stands for life and vitality, and protects against disaster. Vermilion pigment was traditionally made from cinnabar, a mineral.
Not every torii is red. Many are plain wood or stone, and red ones often have a black top beam. The Kokugakuin encyclopedia says no particular material is required: wood and stone are the most common, and metal, concrete and plastic are also used.
Famous torii gates in Japan
Itsukushima: the torii in the sea
The torii of Itsukushima Shrine, on the island of Miyajima, stands in the water in front of the shrine. The Miyajima Tourist Association gives its height as 16.6 metres and says the present gate was built in 1875. It is made of camphor wood, which resists rot even underwater. Wikipedia says a torii has stood there since 1168, and the shrine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1996).
Why does it stand in water? The island was seen as sacred, so the shrine was built over the tidal flats to avoid harming the island itself. Wikipedia adds that commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island for much of its history. At high tide the gate seems to float. At low tide the water drains away and you can walk out to it.
Fushimi Inari: thousands in a row
Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto is said to have about 10,000 torii. About 800 of them make up the Senbon Torii, the famous tunnel of gates. They are vermilion, and they were donated, many by businesses. Inari is the kami of rice and farming, and the patron of business. Donations began in the Edo period.
The full trail up the mountain is about four kilometres. English Wikipedia says it takes around two hours to walk up, and you can turn back whenever you like.
The tallest
Japanese Wikipedia lists the steel torii at Ōyunohara, the old site of Kumano Hongū Taisha, as Japan's tallest: 33.9 metres, built around 2000.
How to walk through a torii gate
Yes, you can walk under a torii, and you are meant to. Here is the usual etiquette, as many shrine guides describe it:
- Bow before you pass. Stop before the torii and give a small bow towards the shrine. Many guides suggest doing the same at the other torii on the way in.
- Walk to the side. The centre of the path, the seichū, is thought to be where the kami walk. Keep to the left or right edge. If you have to cross the middle, a small nod towards the shrine is enough.
- Wash your hands. At the 手水 (ちょうず, chōzu, “water for washing or moistening one's hands”) fountain, you rinse your hands and mouth.
- Make an offering. Place a coin in the box, a 賽銭 (さいせん, saisen, “monetary offering”). Don't throw it.
- Bow twice, clap twice, bow once. This is the standard form, and the national shrine association, Jinja Honcho, gives the same order.
- Bow when you leave. As one guide says, turn back after the gate and bow again.
A bow is お辞儀 (おじぎ, ojigi, “bow”) in Japanese. Etiquette varies, so follow the signs at the shrine you visit.
Why do you clap twice at a shrine?
The clap, 柏手 (かしわで, kashiwade, “clapping one's hands in prayer (at a shrine)”), is said to call the attention of the kami. The Kodansha encyclopedia says the two claps are made with the palms slightly offset, to produce a clear sound. Some shrines differ: at Izumo Taisha it is four claps.
The torii symbol on maps and phones
A small torii shape is the map symbol for a shrine in Japan, and the temple symbol is the manji, 卍. The shrine symbol is also an emoji: ⛩ (U+26E9), added in Unicode 5.2 in 2009.
Practise Japanese signs
Shrine, station and shop signs: a short quiz on the symbols you will see in Japan.
Questions about torii gates
What does a torii gate symbolize (what do torii gates mean)?
A torii gate marks the entrance to sacred ground at a Shinto shrine. It separates the ordinary world from the kami's space.
Can you walk under or through a torii gate?
Yes, you can walk under a torii gate, and you should. Bow slightly before you go through, and walk near the side of the path, not the middle.
What are the most famous torii gates in Japan?
The most famous are the torii in the sea at Itsukushima Shrine, and the thousands of torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. For size, the torii at Ōyunohara, the old site of Kumano Hongū Taisha, is the tallest in Japan, at 33.9 metres.
Why are torii gates standing in water?
The torii at Itsukushima stands in water because the island of Miyajima was seen as sacred, and the shrine was built on the tidal flats so that the land would not be harmed. Commoners were not allowed on the island for much of its history.
Why do you clap twice at a shrine?
People clap twice to call the attention of the kami, as part of the "two bows, two claps, one bow" sequence. Some shrines have their own number: Izumo Taisha claps four times.
How long does it take to walk through the torii gates?
The full trail through the gates up Fushimi Inari's mountain is about four kilometres, and English Wikipedia puts the walk at around two hours up. You can turn back at any point.
What is the myth of the torii gate?
The best known story is a legend in which the gods put roosters on a perch to draw the sun goddess Amaterasu out of a cave. The perch is said to be the first torii. Historians say the real origin is not settled.
Why are torii gates red?
Torii are often red because vermilion was believed to ward off evil spirits and to stand for life. Not all of them are: some are plain wood, stone or other materials.
What happens when you pass through a torii gate?
Nothing happens to you physically. Passing through a torii is symbolic: you step from the everyday world into shrine grounds, which is why people bow.
Sources
- Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Definition, multiple torii, materials, origin and name theories: Kokugakuin University, Encyclopedia of Shinto: Torii; English Wikipedia, Torii; Japanese Wikipedia, 鳥居.
- Colour: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, shu (vermilion).
- The roosters legend: Japanese Wikipedia, 鳥居; Wasshoi Magazine, The Origins of Torii Gates.
- Tallest torii: Japanese Wikipedia, 鳥居. Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-02.
- Itsukushima: Miyajima Tourist Association, Itsukushima Shrine's great torii; Japan National Tourism Organization, Itsukushima Shrine; English Wikipedia, Itsukushima Shrine. Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-02.
- Fushimi Inari: English Wikipedia, Fushimi Inari-taisha. Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-02.
- Shrines and temples: Kokugakuin University, Encyclopedia of Shinto: Torii (torii at temples such as Shitennōji); English Wikipedia, Shinto shrine; Japan-guide, Shinto shrines.
- Etiquette: GLT, A Simple Guide to Proper Shrine Etiquette in Japan; Jinja Honcho, Shinto worship etiquette; Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, kashiwade.
- Map symbols and the emoji: English Wikipedia, List of Japanese map symbols; Emojipedia, Shinto Shrine.
- Reviewed independently; the points about shrine etiquette, the number of torii at Fushimi Inari and the tallest torii are waiting for a native speaker's check.