Mon (architecture)

[3] The word is usually translated in English as "bay" and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement.

Like the temples they belong to, gates can be in the wayō, daibutsuyō, zen'yō or setchūyō style.

Very different structurally from the others is the toriimon (normally called simply torii), a two-legged gate in stone or wood regularly associated with Shinto, but common also within Japanese Buddhist temples.

[6] The origins of the torii are unknown; although several theories on the subject exist, none has gained universal acceptance.

[5] Because the use of symbolic gates is widespread in Asia—such structures can be found for example in India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, and within Nicobarese and Shompen villages—historians believe it may be an imported tradition.