 Torii of Itsukushima Shrine
Torii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine, Japan
by Dan Smith, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Itsukushima_torii_distance.jpg, used under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5
The Torii, or gateway, of Itsukushima Shrine is the most famous torii gate in Japan. It is located off the island of Itsukushima, in the city of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture. The view of the gate in front of Itsukushima's Mount Misen, is classified as one of the Three Views of Japan (a canonical list of Japan's most famous sights, akin to the Seven Wonders of the World), along with the sand bar of Amanohashidate, and Matsushima Bay. It is also called the Floating Torii because it stands in the waters of...
It is designated a World Heritage Site.
The Torii marks the entrance to a sacred space in Shinto Japan. Going through the torii, along with washing of hands and mouth with water, is considered an act of sanctification and purification.
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