The Floating Torii, Itsukushima Shrine
By Maia LiVecchi
Title: Japan, Torii-Itsukushima Shrine
Year: 1932/1937
Location: Itsukushima Island, Japan
Photographer: Albert E. Kane
This image is Albert E. Kane’s photograph of the “floating” torii or gate located near the island of Itsukushima in Japan. A torii is a decorative open gate, most often found on the outskirts of or within a Shinto shrine. Toriis mark the transition from everyday life to the sacred world. At high tide, the torii in this photograph appears to be floating in the bay, a gate to the Itsukushima Shrine on the nearby shore. Like other toriis, it represents, not only a link between the mundane and the divine, but also between architecture and religion.
Shinto is a set of religious beliefs and rituals which originally emerged in prehistoric Japan out of the spiritual and agricultural traditions of ancient Japanese culture (“Statements”, n.d.). More people in Japan practice Shinto than any other religion. In 2020, 48.6% of the Japanese population identified as Shinto, with Buddhism close behind at 46.3%. (U.S. Department of State, 2021). Shinto has played a crucial role in the history and development of culture, art, and architecture of Japan (Rujivacharakul, n.d.). Shinto translates as “the way of the kami” and is rooted in the spirituality of nature. Kami are Shinto gods and goddesses. Shinto shrines are established as the homes of kami and places where the devoted come to worship them. In Shinto, the divine resides on earth and shrines are sacred places. Toriis serve as open gates to Shinto shrines. Passing through a torii that stands on the outskirt of a Shinto shrine signifies transitioning from the ordinary world to spiritual grounds (Sal, 2023).
Toriis reflect not only the tenets of the Shinto religion, but also the cultural heritage of Japan (Sal, 2023). They vary in size and are traditionally made of either wood or stone. Toriis have a symbolic functionality as entranceways to the sacred world, but they are also works of architectural beauty, representative of Japanese tradition. Their size, color, form, and placement are deliberate and meaningful to Shinto and the general culture of Japan. Toriis are designed with simple, elegant lines and bold, meaningful colors. They are striking symbols of the path to the spiritual grounds of Shinto shrines, where the kami reside.
The “floating” torii depicted in this photograph by Albert E. Kane is the gate that stands as the entrance to the shrine on the Japanese island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima or “shrine island). Itsukushima is located in Hiroshima Bay in the Inland Sea. The Itsukushima shrine is believed to have originally been built in 593 AD. The current torii, built in 1875, is the 9th in a series of gates erected on the same spot (“Itsukushima Shrine”, 2023). It is referred to as otorii, which translates to “big gate.” In fact, the Itsukushima otorii is one of the largest wooden toriis in Japan. It stands at 16 meters tall and 24 meters wide. Like many toriis, the floating otorii is painted vermillion for good fortune and to protect against evil spirits (Sal, 2023). Other toriis are painted green for fertility and growth. The floating otorii was built in the Myojin style identified by four vertical and two horizontal pillars. It has a curved roof which is painted black. The curved top is said to represent water and waves and signifies a bridge between land and sea (Sal, 2023). The Itsukushima otorii stands in shallow water. During low tide, it can be reached – and passed through – on foot. During high tide, it appears to be floating in the bay and is designed to be passed under by boat. Its reflection in the water further highlights its striking stature and the beauty of the surrounding nature (Sebastian, 2020).
The Itsukushima shrine, itself, was built close to the water and sometimes appears to float, just like the otorii (“Itsukushima Shrine”, 2023). The shrine is dedicated to three female deities. The location of the shrine is said to have been chosen by the deities, themselves, and the governor of the island. They specifically chose a place where the tide ebbs and flows (“History Itsukushima Shrine”, n.d.). Thus, the rise and fall of the tide, became part of the architecture of the shrine as well as the otorii and its placement highlights the beauty of the island, the water, and the mountains that rise in the distance beyond the bay. The location and form of the shrine and otorii engage in their natural settings in the tradition of the Shinto religion.
The photograph of the floating otorii of Isukushima was taken in the 1930s, when Albert E. Kane was on a tour of Japan and other East Asian countries (“Collection: Albert E. Kane”, n.d.). The photograph is in black and white, but one can imagine how he framed the shot, taking in the beauty of the giant, vermillion gate reflected in the water of the bay. Today, the floating otorii of Isukushima remains an iconic landmark, a connection between the ordinary world and the divine, and a symbol of the mutual influence of Japanese religion, culture, and architecture.
References
Collection: Albert E. Kane collection | Rare and Distinctive Collections – University of Colorado Boulder. (n.d.). Archives.colorado.edu. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://archives.colorado.edu/repositories/2/resources/43
History Itsukushima Shrine. (n.d.). Www.itsukushimajinja.jp. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.itsukushimajinja.jp/en/history.html
Itsukushima Shrine: Standing Between Mountain and Sea April 2023 Highlighting Japan. (2023). Www.gov-Online.go.jp. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/202304/202304_02_en.html
Rujivacharakul, V. (n.d.). Architecture and Sacred Spaces in Shinto | ORIAS. Orias.berkeley.edu. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://orias.berkeley.edu/resources-teachers/architecture-and-sacred-spaces-shinto
Sal. (2023). From Sacred Entrances to Artistic Marvels: The Enchanting World of Torii Gates in Japan. The Art of Zen. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://theartofzen.org/the-enchanting-world-of-torii-gates-in-japan/
Sebastian, J. (2020). Shinto temple gates are “symbolic entrances into a new world” says Martin van der Linden. Dezeen. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.dezeen.com/2020/04/21/one-minute-architecture-virtual-design-festival/
Statements: Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. (n.d.). Fore.yale.edu. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://fore.yale.edu/World-Religions/Shinto/Statements#:~:text=Shinto%20regards%20that%20the%20land
U.S. Department of State. (2021). Japan. United States Department of State. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/japan/
