<P> A torii (鳥居, literally bird abode, Japanese pronunciation: (to. ɾi. i)) is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to sacred . </P> <P> The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps . </P>

The archway at the entrance of a shinto shrine is known as a