Keywords
Architecture
Shrines
The simplest type of Shinto gate *torii 鳥居 belonging to the shinmei style *shinmei torii 神明鳥居. Originally made entirely of wood that still has bark *kuroki 黒木. The structure is composed of four circular members: a top lintel *kasagi 笠木, a tie beam *nuki 貫, and two pillars *hashira 柱, that have no incline. The most famous example is at Nonomiya Jinja 野宮神社 in Kyoto. However, because the unstripped members needed replacing about every three years, the gate at this shrine was recently reconstructed with synthetic material simulating the bark of trees.