THE TORII IN JAPANESE PRINTS

The Japanese Shinto religion (the Way to the Gods) reveres divine-like entities called the kami. They are believed to inhabit all things, including natural forces (like wind or river) and prominent landscape locations. The kami are worshipped at household or public shrines. A torii  is a traditional Japanese gate found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine where it marks the transition from the profane to the sacred. It is also a spot where kami are welcomed. Torii are often present in Japanese woodblock prints, where they have  several functions in traditional to decorative and even humorous scenes…