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(詳細はJapanese 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 are 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 existing 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 shrines typically have many ''torii'' because those who have been successful in business often donate in gratitude 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. ==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 (''sandō'') 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 farther 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 ''("Chinjusha"), 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 sutras. 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 Marine Corps Security Force Regiment and the 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and of other US forces in Japan.〔(DefenseLINK News: Revised Helmet Patch Immortalizes World War II Troops )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「torii」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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