Torii:

A Japanese structure that has fascinated me since early 1960 is the TORII

Literally meaning "where the birds reside",torii are gateways at the entrance to Shinto shrines or sanctuaries.
They are typically made of timber,stone or sometimes iron;

Most wooden torii are painted red!

Some buddhist temples also have torii probably because at one time the two philosophies overlapped and merged to some degree.


The large timber torii with bronze decoration is at the Meiji Shrine close to the
Harajuku district of Tokyo.Dedicated to the Emperor and Empress Meiji it is a particularly fine example of Shinto architecture.
The torii measures some 17 metres in height and 15 metres in width and marks the entrance to the shrine itself.