Majestic is the Japanese red gate towering above the water at Itsukushima Shrine. Thousands of torii in Kyoto's most famous Fushimi Inari. These world-famous gates have become. What do they mean? Why are they simultaneously considered a symbol good luck, and a passage to the other world?

Simple design - sacred meaning

Torii are the famous Japanese gates, usually installed in the territories of temple complexes. They are a simple construction of two pillars connected by two crossbars, the upper of which resembles the roof of Japanese temples.

Initially, the gates were made without an upper roof at all - two pillars with a crossbar of a certain proportion. unpainted simple design symbolizing the center Japanese culture and wisdom. Later, an upper crossbar was added to the gate, then they began to make it in an intricate shape. And at the very last turn torii turned red.

legend of the sun

Why does the Japanese torii gate carry such a contradictory meaning - both luck and a symbol of transition to the other world?

Legend has it that the sun goddess Amaterasu, angry at her brother for ruining her rice fields, hid in dark cave. She blocked the entrance with a huge stone and did not want to leave her shelter anymore. The whole world was plunged into darkness.

People realized that without the sun they would die, and decided to lure the beautiful goddess out of the cave at all costs. Then they built a huge bird roost at the entrance - the future Japanese gate, on which they planted all the roosters they could find. The birds made an unimaginable noise, and a curious Amaterasu peeped out to see what was going on.

Then the sun returned to the sky, and the Japanese gate became a symbol of great luck.

Entrance to the world of spirits

Torii symbolize not only luck. They are also a passage to the other world. japanese gate scattered throughout the country rising sun, and you can meet them not only in large temple complexes.

If during a walk through the forest, somewhere in a completely inappropriate place, a deaf path leads you to torii, it means that it was the spirits that led you here to think about yourself, life, your place in it and your affairs.

The Japanese gate is a favorite resting place for birds - no wonder, because according to legend they were built as a bird perch. The Japanese firmly believe that, flying away, birds take the souls of the dead with them.

Passing through the torii, you need to be prepared to meet the spirits and the dead, because the gate symbolizes not only the entrance, but also the transformation of consciousness.

Step by step approaching the shrine

Torii gates are an integral part of Shinto shrines. They mean a kind of border beyond which the sacred space begins, and therefore, when entering the torii, you need to bow your head or make a small bow.

Their size and number are directly related to the size of the sanctuary. The first, largest torii mean the entrance to a sacred place, each subsequent one, as a rule, is lower and smaller than the previous ones and means a gradual approach to the shrine.

You can often see red Japanese gates in the photo. Many people think that all torii look like this. But this is not a completely correct representation. Only the torii of Inari and Usa shrines are painted red, the rest are neutral or white.

Most often, gates are made of wood, but torii made of marble, stone, and even reinforced concrete structures are not uncommon.

Gates running on waves

Itsukushima Shrine is one of the most popular and recognizable places in Japan. Initially, it was erected in honor of the three daughters of the god Susanoo no Mikoto, but since then it has been repeatedly destroyed and remade.

It is believed that people were never born or died on the island, since for a long time entry there for mere mortals was closed. The island is famous for its five-tiered pagoda, wooden buildings connected by galleries and a house built on stilts on the water.

The entrance to the sanctuary is symbolized by 16-meter japanese torii gate. Their photo is one of the most recognizable characters Land of the Rising Sun. These gates are built on the territory of the bay, some distance from the temple complex, and every time at high tide they are immersed in water. The low tide creates the impression that this majestic structure itself glides over the surface of the water.

Torii arcade in Kyoto

The second most popular and recognizable monument in Japan with a gate to Japanese style is the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, located in Kyoto. Here, thousands of torii, placed one after the other, form a kind of gallery, an arcade, mysterious and enigmatic.

A corridor almost five kilometers long leads up the mountain to the five main chapels of the temple. It is also noteworthy that all the torii located here are donations from individuals or large corporations.

The torii are placed in such a way that the sun's rays pass through the beams, creating an indescribable mysterious atmosphere. But the best time to visit this place is deep night when the lights inside the labyrinth create an unknown mystical atmosphere.

The biggest torii

One of the largest Japanese gates is located at the entrance to the Shinto shrine of Heian Jingu. The building itself depicts Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

This shrine was built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of Kyoto. The red gate is called Oten-mon, stands 1.5 kilometers from the temple and is considered the highest in Japan.

The temple itself is surrounded by four gardens, where sakura, irises and wisteria grow. Everything here is organized strictly according to the principles of Feng Shui.

Torii in Russia

However, to see the famous Japanese gate, it is not at all necessary to go to the Land of the Rising Sun. One of the gates is located on the territory Russian Federation, on Sakhalin Island.

There, in 1922, the Japanese Shinto shrine Tomarioru jinja was located. The entrance to it was through the white marble Torii Gate, which is still preserved. This place is located near the village of Vzmorye.

Gate that survived a nuclear explosion

The single-pillar torii gate in Nagasaki is a symbol of rebirth and the continuation of life. The Sanno-jinja temple complex was located 900 meters from the epicenter of the explosion. nuclear bomb dropped during World War II.

The torii in the grounds of the Shinto shrine were built of white stone. During the bombardment, one of the columns was shot down, but the second miraculously stood, turning 30 degrees.

These torii still silently remind of the horror that happened at that time.

The real symbol of Japan

It is impossible to calculate at least an approximate number of gates in Japan. According to scientists, there are about 85 thousand Shinto temples and shrines in the Land of the Rising Sun. Each of them can contain an infinite number of torii.

The fact is that the number of gates depends only on the generosity of the donors, since the gates are traditionally donated to temples by corporations and individuals in honor of some significant event for themselves.

Often gates can be found in lost forests, on the outskirts of cities or on the coast. What they are doing there and the entrance to which of the sanctuaries they symbolize - only the spirits know.

The size of the gate varies from several tens of meters in height to meters, where only a child or a crouching adult can pass.

IN different times torii adorned the coats of arms of various noble families, and over time became the unspoken symbol of Japan.

Little Japan: torii in your garden

Having some skills in carpentry and construction, it is not difficult to build a Japanese gate with your own hands. Of course, it will not be a global structure like the one that decorates the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine, but they will add a special charm.

For pillars, you will have to get wooden trunks with a diameter of approximately 150 mm and a length of 3 meters.

In the picture below you will find the exact measurements and proportions for future Japanese style gates.

The structure should be securely concreted into the ground and painted with red paint. Your personal entrance Ready for the spirit world!

Holidays:
Kangensai Music Festival - July-August
Sacred performances of Jin-No - April 16-18
demonstration of the old court dances Bugaku - 2,3, 5 January

(more correctly - itsukushima) - one of the three most famous places in Japan, which are famous for their stunning scenery.

The island is located in the Japanese Inland Sea (Seto Naikai). Itsukushima Shrine, one of the oldest Shinto shrines dating back more than 14 centuries, and one of Japan's most famous landmarks, the Shinto Shrine Gate ( torii), standing in the middle of the ocean, under which you can only pass at low tide. To everyone who passed under torii luck and happiness should smile.

Not far from the temple is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Japan - Daiganji, dedicated to the goddess Benten. Next to it is a 5-tiered pagoda (16th century), as well as the Hall of a thousand tatami.

Until the middle of the last century, the island was considered sacred, and here, according to Shinto beliefs, something unclean should not have happened, which included childbirth and funerals. Until now, there is no cemetery, and the dead are taken away from the island.

Literally, Miyajima means Temple Island, and this is quite true, since the Itsukushima Shrine was erected here - one of the oldest Shinto shrines, dating back more than 14 centuries. It was rebuilt in its present form in the 12th century. through the efforts of the Taira clan, when one of their commanders was deified here. Itsukushima is dedicated to the three daughters of one of the main deities of the Shinto pantheon - Susanoo. All of them are considered the patronesses of sailors. The main structure of the temple, raised on piles, stands on the very shore, and at high tide it seems to float on the surface of the sea. Its numerous halls are connected by galleries-bridges that lead to open area where ritual dances are performed.

TORI gate

Creating one of the country's three most spectacular views (Nihon sankei), Itsukushima Shrine's torii seem to float on water. (Another outstanding attraction is the Amanohashidate sandbar). The commander Taira no Kiyomori erected the first torii in the waters of the bay in the 12th century. The present structure dates back to 1875 and is 16 m high. Four pillars (yozzuashi) ensure the stability of the gate. Bright red gates - torii - are taken out far into the sea. You can only pass under these gates at low tide. There is a belief: a person who manages to pass under these gates will find happiness and prosperity. Thousands of Japanese and foreign tourists come to the island to try their luck. Together with the "floating" temple, the torii make an unforgettable impression.

Dedicated to the three sea goddesses, daughters of the Shinto god Susanoo, was founded in 593, during the regency of Empress Suiko. It acquired its final form in 1168 under Tairano Kiyomori (1118-1181), the great leader of the Heike (Taira) clan and the penultimate ruler of the Heian era. The shrine building, with attached covered corridors, is famous for its thatched roofs and bright orange carved woodwork. Built on stilts right above the sea, at high tide it seems to float on the water. It is truly an outstanding example of Heian period temple architecture. Rows of bronze lanterns hang from eaves; when they are lit on holidays along with stone lanterns, there is simply a magical effect. The famous 16m high torii gate is 160m from the shrine. They were built of camphor wood and in 1875 were rebuilt for the 8th time. On the territory of the shrine there is a stage of the No theater, which was installed back in 16, which is used in the sacred performances of Jin-No (April 16-18).

Keeps a valuable collection (about 4000 items), 130 of which have the status of Important Cultural Property or National Treasure: fans, swords, armor, masks and a collection of famous sutra scrolls that once belonged to the Heike clan.

The hill above the shrine is dominated by Gojunoto, a five-storied pagoda built in 1407. Next to it is Senjokaku, the "Pavilion of a Thousand Matami", built in 1587.

This temple was responsible for maintaining the Itsukushima jinja until 1868, when Shinto Buddhists were outlawed. The most important temple in Miyajima is Daishoin, which is higher up the slope to the southwest.

From the low mountains approaching the sea itself, a wonderful view opens up not only of the temple reflected in the water, but also of the islands of the Inland Sea, almost always covered in a light haze. Mount Misen crowns the island, to which two lines of funiculars lead. The ascent on one (1100 m) takes about 9 minutes, and on the other (500 m) - 3 minutes. Funiculars leave every 60 seconds. On the way, you can admire the virgin nature of Miyajima. From Mount Misen, you can see not only the entire island, but also the lights of Hiroshima, a city that knows what war and peace are.
There are also several nature trails along the slope of the mountain. The hike will take about 90 minutes.

Along the embankment and mountain paths of the Momijidani Park (Valley of Maples), deer and almost tame monkeys always roam, counting on a treat. The island is home to a branch of the Japan Monkey Research Center, which studies the life of these animals in natural conditions. brought and resettled here in 1962. It seems they liked it on Miyajima.

Located at an altitude of 530 m, you may not see monkeys - they are hiding in the forest, but be prepared for the fact that animals can attack a tourist if his movements are too abrupt. There are 2 rules for interacting with monkeys: do not look directly into their eyes and do not feed them. At the very top there are several small temples, among which there are, they say, the one built by the monk Kukai (774-835), the founder of the Buddhist sect Shingon.

You can get to Miyajima quite quickly: 30 minutes by comfortable train or fixed-route taxi and another 10 minutes by ferry from. You can arrive in the city in the afternoon, but there are so many interesting things here that it is better to devote the whole day to exploring. Staying overnight is a great temptation, but hotels are not cheap.

In past notes, I talked about the modern symbols of Kyoto, and now I propose to take a look at the historical ones: the Rock Garden of the Ryoanji Temple - the Temple of the Calm Dragon, the Golden Temple (Pavilion) of Kinkakuji and the Fushimi Inari Shrine. These are the main locations in Kyoto and important places throughout Japan. Without visiting them, a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun does not count as karma, do not even hope.

First, I will talk about Fushimi Inari Taisha - this amazing shrine of a thousand scarlet gate collected in long tunnels...

Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous as one of the most famous attractions not only in Kyoto, but also in Japan. This is the main temple of the Inari cult in the country, patronizing business and trade. A visiting card is the tunnels of the red Torii gate, the hallmark of any Shinto shrine.

Shintoism is a complex of local beliefs of various types that has developed over the centuries under the influence of Buddhism:

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Shintoism singled out a sacred territory, which was designated by a similar gate - a portal. It is interesting that the word torii itself, perhaps, goes back to the Sanskrit torana - a gate, no less familiar to us: door, door ... Hieroglyphically, the word Torii is written as a “bird perch”, which leads us to the Shinto legend of the goddess Amaterasu, who hid in the grotto ... It is not customary to pass under this gate in the center, since this place of honor is intended for the gods:

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One of the important ceremonies before visiting any temple is the ritual bathing performed at a special spring or well/water tank. Often such a place is designed as a separate covered pavilion at the entrance:

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There is a certain sequence of ablution: first, water is collected with a special scoop, watered first left hand(it is associated with the divine principle in Shintoism), and then the earthly right, after which water is drawn into the palm and the mouth is rinsed (however, in many places the water in the source is not drinkable, therefore this part is omitted). In conclusion, the water remaining in the scoop is carefully poured onto itself along the handle to clean it. The scoop is placed in place upside down:

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There are 2 foxes in front of the central gate of the shrine. Foxes are one of the most mystical and popular characters Chinese and Japanese folklore, their divine nature is often mentioned in many Far Eastern fairy tales. In Japan, they are popular as messengers of the goddess of rice fertility - Inari. Therefore, in the temples dedicated to Inari you can meet a large number of foxes holding various sacred objects in their mouths: a wish-fulfilling pearl, ears of rice, keys to a rice barn, or a scroll with a Buddhist sutra:

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Pilgrimage to a Shinto shrine has a distinct ritual. Believers leave a donation in a special offertory - a wooden box with a grate on top, where they throw coins. The deities are then invoked by shaking ropes tied to bells suspended from a ledge. Then the person bows and claps his hands TWO times - the palms should be slightly shifted relative to each other - the left one is higher. It all ends with another bow. In Buddhist temples, they do not clap, but simply fold their palms evenly in prayer. Although it is not uncommon to see Japanese clapping in front of a Buddhist prayer house:

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Shinto has old tradition give the temple a white horse on which the deity could ride. Not every sanctuary can keep such horses, therefore images of horses often stand in symbolic stalls. In Fushimi Inari Taisha, a shrine that patronizes business and trade, a horse is a popular place where people stick their business cards with contacts and names through the cracks in the hope that they will be lucky:

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A long almost 5 km route along the mountain, connecting 5 main chapels, is accompanied by corridors-tunnels from the Torii gate. Each gate - someone's donations, ranging from largest corporations and ending with individuals. It is noteworthy that the first gate was supplied by Dentsu, the largest advertising agency in Japan:

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Tunnel 1000 torii:

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Best time for a pilgrimage here - deep night, when the mystical atmosphere of the place is not destroyed by crowds of scurrying tourists, it is quiet, and even a little scary. When you look straight ahead, you see only rows of red pillars:

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Donation gates have their own price list: from 5 to 10 number - the diameter of the support is from 15 to 30 cm, and the prices, respectively - conditionally remove two zeros and get dollars:

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In the shop you can buy more budget gates of a small size:

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Another remarkable detail of the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine is the ema tablets in the form of fox faces. Everyone can draw a facial expression close to him and leave wishes without forgetting his return address and name. These tablets are called Ema - which literally translates as “picture with a horse”, the name says, those who could not give a horse, gave her picture. Later, instead of horses, they began to depict cyclic signs of animals of the year, or special local symbols:

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This is an example of tablets from another temple. Here they have the shape of a gourd gourd - a popular amulet of health and longevity, but in this temple they appeared for a different reason: 1000 golden pumpkins - this was the standard of the great Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who participated in the unification of the country at the end of the 16th century. In the temple dedicated to his memory, prayer tablets are in the shape of a pumpkin:

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Here the plates are classic look pentagon. They depict the animals of the year. It is the year of the horse:

This garland is nothing but a bunch of 1000 cranes. The crane is one of the symbols of longevity, and 1000 is a symbol of the multitude, making 1000 origami cranes is a long work, evidence of strong faith. Perhaps many will remember the Hiroshima tragedy and the story of the girl Sadako fighting leukemia, who made 1000 cranes out of candy wrappers:

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Thank you for your help in posting. chekaev

In the next post - Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden! Stay Tuned!

= Japan =

Gates and gates in Japanese gardens

In ancient times in Japan, the gate was an indicator of the level of human well-being and its social significance. They were allowed only noble people. And only since the 19th century, even commoners could afford this element of the garden. The entrance gate at that time consisted of two pillars with an upper crossbar. Subsequently, under the influence Chinese culture, they began to make a roof over the gate. Such options can decorate the entrance to or exit from your Japanese garden.

However, gates and wickets are most appropriate in tea-type gardens. These gardens appeared in late XVI – early XVIII centuries. The purpose of the gate here is certain meaning. When the guests invited to the tea ceremony approach the entrance at the appointed hour, they see the doors either ajar or completely wide open. This is a sign that the owner is ready to accept the participants in the action. As soon as the guests pass through the gate to the territory of the outer tea garden - " soto-roji”, they close the door behind them, thus making it clear to the owner, who is finishing the preparations in the tea house, that they have gathered. But this is not only a signal of readiness. Passing through the gate means for guests that they have ceased to be part of the outside world, and now they must tune in to peace, peace, and spirituality. Further, all participants are located in a small covered gazebo and silently wait. After some time, the owner comes to the inner gate, unlocks it, and in a silent bow invites the audience to enter the inner tea garden - uchi-roji.

Gates in tea gardens are external ( sotomon) and internal ( tumon). Both of them should correspond to the size and appearance of the garden. Yes, in small garden high tumon with a roof are hardly appropriate, they will just look ridiculous. But in a large garden, we can safely put them, such gates will only decorate our garden.

Most often, instead of an internal gate, a simple gate made of bamboo or wooden slats. There are even cases when the gate is standing, but there is practically no fence (this option would suit a small Japanese-style corner). This speaks more about the symbolic than the functional purpose of the gate.

One of the varieties of gates in the tea garden - soji-guchi. As a rule, it is located in the far corner of the garden and is intended for cleaning.

Gates and gates are appropriate not only in small tea gardens, but also in large ones. Gardens of this type appeared in Japan during the Edo period (1600-1868). They were alternating pictures created to remind the viewer of certain events. These could be scenes from mythology, culture, history, and even miniature copies of famous gardens. Often a ravine, thickets of plants or a hill served as a transition from one place to another. If you have the desire and the opportunity to create such a garden for yourself, then a tea garden can also be part of it. Then it will be impossible to do without gates here.

There is another type of gate called the torii gate. This is one of the most famous characters Japan. Only in ancient times such gates were used as ordinary ones. At first they looked quite simple: two wooden posts and two crossbars. The wood has not been painted or treated. And only later, under the influence of China, the torii acquired the form that they have now. The tree was gradually replaced by stone, metal, and even concrete, the entire structure was painted red and decorated with hieroglyphs or small patterns. Undoubtedly, such gates are very beautiful. Particularly impressive are the “floating torii” of Itsukushima Shrine, located right in the water. At low tide, you can walk to them along the bottom of the sea, and at high tide, the gates are reflected in the water, as in a mirror. The Japanese say that "the sun enters into these torii."

However, despite their beauty, it is not worth placing such gates in the garden. The fact is that torii are ritual gates. They are installed mainly at the entrance to the territory of a Shinto shrine (less often - in front of cemeteries) and symbolize the line between the earthly and the spiritual world. Passing through them is believed to promote internal purification. At one time, there was even a law in Japan, according to which torii was allowed to be installed only at state temples and some shrines. But even after the ban was lifted, they tried not to use such gates in other places. In some places you can find entire arcades of closely spaced torii. For example, in the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, the red gates are almost close to each other, forming a long passage. This picture looks especially beautiful in the rays of the sun, breaking through the cracks.

Based on the foregoing, you need to think very carefully before putting such a gate on your site.

TORII - an indispensable attribute of any Shinto shrine - U-shaped gate with two crossbars on top.

The number of torii installed in the country is impossible to calculate. It's not even about the huge number of Shinto temples themselves - and there are now more than 85 thousand of them in Japan. Each temple, large or small, can have several gates, the number of which is determined not so much by religious canons or architectural needs, but by the generosity of local sponsors, who are ready to fork out for new torii for the local temple in memory of some important event.

The size of such gates can be very different - from huge, almost cyclopean structures several tens of meters high to miniature ones, 1.5 meters high, which can only be entered by bending down. They can rise alone above a path or road, or they can make up an entire colonnade, even if it resembles a palisade of poles.

The material used in their construction is also very different. Most often it is wood painted with minium. For larger structures, whole trunks of huge, two-girth Japanese cryptomeria are used. There are, although rather rare, torii, welded or riveted from iron beams, through the external carmine painting of which rust begins to break through with time. There are temple gates made of bronze and even granite. Often erected, especially in Lately, structures made of unpainted reinforced concrete, often lost against the background of an ordinary urban colors- gray walls of houses and dusty asphalt, although the builders, trying to give them at least a hint traditional look, cover the hardening concrete of the pillars with a pattern resembling the rough bark of cryptomeria.

Peculiar calling card Japan became the gateway to the temple on the small island of MiYajima near Hiroshima. Here, about 850 years ago (when only a few peasant houses stood on the site of Moscow!) The amazingly beautiful Itsukushima Shrine, dedicated to the sea deity, was erected.

The builders carried purple-red 16-meter torii, cut down from camphor wood, directly into the coastal waters. If you swim up to Miyajima from the sea at high tide, it seems as if fiery streams are knocked out of the water, forming the outline of the temple gates.

But the torii of Miyajima are also amazing at low tide, when the water leaves the shore for 300 meters and you can approach the gate on dry land. Then the base of the pillars, overgrown with green algae, opens up to the eye, and you begin to understand that this miracle was once erected not by God's providence, but by the work of ordinary Japanese, who possessed not only the necessary building skills, but also a magnificent sense of beauty. After all, they truly inscribed the temple and its torii in surrounding landscape like a jeweler cuts priceless gem in an equally beautiful frame.

Torii are as characteristic of Japan as, say, the domes of Orthodox bell towers are for Russia. And just as exceptional. In other countries, they can be found very rarely and only in places where Japanese communities are densely populated, if they receive permission to build their own Shinto shrine. True, there were times when the Japanese built Shinto shrines on lands seized as a result of wars. So, quite actively these places of worship were erected on the territory of Manzhou-Guo, on the occupied lands in South-East Asia. But after the defeat of Japan in 1945, almost all of them were destroyed.

The very origin of torii is closely connected with the mythological history of Japan.

One day, the god of wind and storm Susanoo raged and did a lot of disgrace, destroying the rice fields, desecrating the dwelling of his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Insulted, Amaterasu took refuge in the heavenly cave, tightly shutting the door behind her. The world plunged into darkness. To lure Amaterasu out of hiding, the celestial deities tried many ways - they arranged dances at her doors, hung out various decorations at the entrance to the cave. The bet was also made on vociferous roosters, capable of awakening even a sleeping goddess. In front of the cave was built a high perch (jap. torii), which housed a flock of birds. As a result of many different tricks, the sun goddess was lured out of the cave, the light returned to the world again. But since then, torii have become an indispensable attribute of any temple dedicated to the Shinto gods - "kami".