torii

American  

[tawr-ee-ee] / ˈtɔr iˌi /

noun

• torii
  plural

1. (in Japan) a form of decorative gateway or portal, consisting of two upright wooden posts connected at the top by two horizontal crosspieces, commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.

---

torii British  

/ ˈtɔːrɪˌiː /

noun

1. a gateway, esp one at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto temple

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• torii
  plural

Etymology

Origin of torii

First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese, equivalent to tori “bird” + (w)i “perch”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

torii

Sites like the Hakone torii gates and Arashiyama bamboo forest had huge crowds of people trying to get Instagram-perfect photos, he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Behind a tall torii gate, a larger-than-life statue of a kamikaze pilot is flanked by a huge wall painted with Japan’s wartime Rising Sun flag.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2023

The wooden Seward Park torii had a 50-year life, starting on University Street downtown at the 1934 International Golden Potlatch and bearing a pro-trade sign: “Seattle — America’s Gateway to the Orient.”

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2022

It’s not like those we’ve passed so far: Most have been small and tidy, with well-made torii gates and statues, sometimes, of Jizo Bodhisattva, guardian of travelers.

From Washington Post

Immediately a number of passengers rose to their feet, and, turning their faces toward the torii began to clap their hands in Shinto prayer.

From Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan Second Series by Lafcadio Hearn