A torih is a traditional Shinto gate (fig.) used to mark the entrance to a sacred space. There are several varieties, yet in general they are often red with black in colour and they usually consist of two vertical pillars, topped by a horizontal lintel, and kept together by a tie-beam.

These ones, near the Japanese built infamous Bridge over the River Kwae (fig.), with pillars with a slight inward inclination, have a supporting strut centered between the top and bottom lintels, as well as an elongated decorative black support at the foot.

This support is called nemaki, which translates as ‘root sleeve’. The ones in the photo below are placed in rows, one after another, thus creating a tunnel-like effect, reminiscent of the Torii Gate Tunnel at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto and the Hie Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo.