Yasukuni Jinja

Guide to Outer GardenDaiichi Torii (First Shinto Shrine Arch)

The Japanese characters for torii literally translate to “bird abode.” This is said to derive from their resemblance to perches for birds, the messengers of the deities.
This torii gate, the largest in Japan, was installed in 1921. Described in a poem as “the great gate that seems to pierce the sky,” it served as a notable landmark for visitors.
Although it was removed in 1943 due to deterioration, it was rebuilt in 1974 using the latest weather-resistant steel technology thanks to veterans and worshippers. With pillars measuring 25 meters in height and 2.5 meters in diameter, a lintel measuring 34 meters in length and 2.7 meters in diameter, and a weight of 100 tons, it is the tallest and largest torii gate in all of Japan.
It is also able to withstand an earthquake of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale and wind speeds of 80 meters per second, giving it an expected lifetime of 1,200 years.