ryōbu torii 両部鳥居

Also called yotsuashi torii 四脚鳥居, gongen torii 権現鳥居 or chigobashira torii 稚児柱鳥居. A Shinto shrine gate *torii 鳥居, where square posts call *hikaebashira 控柱, chigobashira 稚児柱, or kobashira 小柱 are set in front and back of the two pillars that support the ornamental entrance-gate. They extend a distance of slightly less than half the width between the bases of the main pillars, oyabashira 親柱, measured from pillar center to pillar center. Each post is connected to the main pillars by two penetrating ties, hikaenuki 控貫. The posts are slightly inclined toward the main pillars. The top lintels, tie beam, wedges, center strut and mound-shaped bases are typical of a type of torii called *myōjin torii 明神鳥居. The only difference is the addition of a circular plate *daiwa 台輪, at the top of the pillars. 

Because of the amalgamation of Shinto and Buddhism from the 12th to 15th century, some scholars suggest that the meaning of ryōbu can be equated with the Diamond and Womb Worlds, kontai ryōbu 金胎両部, of Esoteric Buddhism and that this style torii originally may have contained such symbolism. The ryōbu torii continued to be built after the Heian period at shrines where there was a mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism. Examples: Kubohachiman Jinja 窪八幡神社 (1535) in Yamanashi Prefecture, Kehi Jinja 気比神社 (1645) in Fukui Prefecture, and Itsukushima Jinja 厳島神社 (19th century) in Hiroshima Prefecture.