Yokoso Japan!

One of the main entrances in Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto

Sanmon, Chion-in

A sanmon is the most important gate for a Japanese Buddhist temple, and is part of the five to seven halls which form the core of these temples. The role it fulfills is largely symbolic (there are neither fences nor doors), and is meant to cleanse and prepare pilgrims who step through the gate to …