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[EN][Column] Torii Gate Basics: Not just some damn landmark

Published: November 17th 2024, 1:47:54 pm

Living in Japan, it’s not something you encounter much, but as someone who’s been immersed in gaming since birth, I feel like I’ve been exposed to the cult-like “DIE”... I mean, “DEI,” more than most Japanese citizens.

This year, thanks to the religious organization “Ubisoft”, the term has become widely known in Japan, and it made me realize how baffling the world has become.

I don’t think Patreon has made a concrete or clear statement about how it plans to engage with DEI, but I feel it will definitely affect my activities. There’s also an unsettling rumor that, as part of its policies, stricter porn regulations might be on the horizon. (The Truth About Project 2025)

I was writing about standing up to a cult-like religion with a “reformation,” referencing Luther’s Reformation, but…

…a side note I wanted to touch on first—about how I felt a certain shared understanding among Japanese people is completely misunderstood abroad, as seen in the Shadows controversy—ended up becoming incredibly long. So, this time, I’ll just talk about that part, and save the main topic for another occasion. Honestly, at this rate, I might never get to the main topic…

By the way, the shared understanding I’m referring to doesn’t involve discussions about race or anything like that (though it does involve whether someone grew up in Japan). Those kinds of discussions are already overdone by others, and honestly, I find them tiresome.

I don’t know how many people have read this far, but occasionally, I write columns like this related to my activities. Although, with so many tangents, this one is barely related.

This is mostly for my own stress relief, so it doesn’t affect anyone whether you read it or not. But I’d be happy if it gives even a small glimpse into my thought process.

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Torii: The Fear Ingrained in the Japanese Unconscious

First, I should mention, as I’ve said before, my family home is a small Shinto shrine.

So, the religion I practice is Shinto, but when it comes to mourning the dead, we follow the Jodo Shinshu sect of Mahayana Buddhism, specifically the Nishi Honganji branch. For the record, I’m also a devout follower of the Church of the Pastafarianism.

The shrine itself is a branch of the Nara Ikoma Shrine, so it’s a mix of Shinto and Buddhism. Our shrine’s deity is Nandikeśvara, which, if you trace it back, originates from the Hindu god Ganesha. Incidentally, it’s also a phallic deity.

On the massive sacred rock that serves as the deity, there are three-fingered claw marks said to have been left by a dragon that descended when my great-grandmother was the shrine’s priestess.

As you can see from what I’ve written so far, Japan’s religious perspective might seem utterly chaotic from the standpoint of monotheism. However, for those who live in this land of eight million gods(Yaoyorozu-no-kami), this kind of diversity isn’t particularly rare.

That said, my personal religious perspective is likely similar to that of many modern Japanese people: it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say I don’t actively practice any religion in my daily life. However, this doesn’t mean I’m completely irreligious. It’s more of an unconscious faith, stemming from deeply ingrained cultural concepts that are hard to articulate or name.

I’m not sure if this concept will resonate with people from other countries, but a work that captures this idea and the multitude of Japanese hells is Natsumi Eguchi’s Hozuki’s Coolheadedness.

While there’s also an anime, I recommend English-speaking readers check out the official English translations available for free on the K MANGA app by Kodansha. This work portrays aspects of Japanese culture and customs that are deeply rooted but often hard to understand through other stories.

However, while watching the Shadows controversy unfold, I realized there’s a shared understanding among Japanese people that even works like Hozuki’s Coolheadedness don’t depict.

That is, “Japanese people don’t casually or recklessly depict torii gates.”

If you take a look at the Shadows website, you’ll immediately see a torii gate in the main visual.

There was also a torii gate placed at the entrance to the booth full of counterfeit items, and even the figure that faced massive backlash prominently featured a single-pillar torii gate. If you’re curious why it caused such an uproar, please look it up yourself.

From a foreign perspective, a torii gate might simply be “a Japanese symbol.” It’s visually distinct and often gives off a mystical vibe, so it’s frequently used as a tourism icon.

But from a Japanese perspective, I think there’s a sense that torii gates are “something you’re scared to touch recklessly.”

What I’m about to add isn’t necessarily a universal Japanese perspective but rather a sentiment held by a subset of people, including myself. Personally, I never take photos of torii gates.

At my family shrine, there’s a large stone torii gate along the approach, and the Inari shrine on the premises has a series of torii gates, but I never photograph them.

There are three main perspectives to consider.

First, if there’s a torii gate, it means that’s a sacred pathway (sandō). A sandō is essentially the path used by the gods, so the belief is that it shouldn’t be photographed casually.

Second, a torii is the boundary between the sacred and the mundane. It’s said to be a space where malevolent entities might gather, and by not disturbing them, you avoid provoking their attention.

Third, a torii is, as it looks, a gate. Some believe that by replicating a gate meant for the gods, you create sacred pathways wherever they are placed. Japan has a significant number of “wrathful gods,” and I can’t say this too loudly, but even Nandikeśvara is a fearsome deity. While I won’t go into details here, it’s not a presence to be taken lightly.

Even without these reasons, many shrines explicitly have rules about whether photography of torii gates, sandō, or shrines themselves is permitted or prohibited, so taking pictures recklessly isn’t appropriate. Even if you do take a photo, it’s said that shrines shouldn’t be photographed directly from the front.

I should also briefly mention Fushimi Inari Taisha, famous for its Senbon Torii (actually over 10,000 gates).

The reason for the vast number of torii gates is that people who had their prayers answered donated the gates as a token of gratitude. The exact origin of this practice is unclear. While the site has become a casual tourist destination, I personally believe that the first torii gate should not be photographed, even if taking pictures inside is acceptable. At the very least, it shouldn’t be photographed directly from the front.

So, as mentioned with the casualization of Fushimi Inari, of course, not everyone deeply believes in this, and I also treat it more like etiquette. But the point is, it’s not something to be carelessly commemorated. Even in fiction, torii gates aren’t depicted unless it aligns with the story or serves a specific purpose.

And what is that specific purpose? It’s horror.

As a design element to evoke fear, torii gates are incredibly effective.

Conversely, without that purpose, torii gates are not featured, and you would never do something like placing one in the background of a main visual as Shadows did. That kind of aesthetic is entirely the work of someone who hasn’t grown up with Japanese culture. And even when used, if it’s for something in the horror genre, purification rituals might be performed—not because it’s a torii, but because of the context.

There’s an anecdote that illustrates this shared sense of “something scary.” In a certain mountain area struggling with illegal dumping, they tried putting up signs and installing surveillance cameras, but the dumping didn’t stop. However, when they set up a miniature torii gate, the illegal dumping stopped immediately. Even criminals feel “something scary” about it. Because of this, small torii gates can be seen scattered in mountain areas across Japan.

I’m not sure what the intent is behind connecting Yasuke and shrines, but given the era, the conflict with corrupt temples like Hongan-ji would have been more significant. That’s why focusing on a torii gate as the main element doesn’t make sense. If I recall, there was a past story featuring an unnamed assassin linked to Hattori Hanzo in the records, so they should’ve just gone with that character and made him a Shinobi. Everyone would’ve enjoyed playing as both a Shinobi and a Kunoichi, right?

(Just to clarify, the Oda clan is said to have originated from the priests of Tsurugi Shrine in Fukui Prefecture, so there is a connection. However, it’s not well-documented and isn’t crucial when discussing the history of the Sengoku period, even within Japan.)
Addendum: By the time Yasuke was said to have been around, the issues with Hongan-ji had already been resolved. This point was off the mark.


Finally:

…As always, while writing these columns, I keep adding “Oh, I should mention this,” or “I should bring that up,” and end up neglecting the original topic, filling it with tangents. But there’s just so much I want to share. Maybe someday I’ll write about folklore, the details of my miko outfit trauma, or even how I once aimed to become a voice actor.

That’s all for now. Zundoya’s Ajitama HOT Ramen.