The Ishidorii Torii from the Nikko Toshougu Shrine was ingeniously designed to be earthquake resistant.
The construction is very heavy, because it was built from granite, but at the same time it’s flexible. The pillars are made from two pieces of granite, joined at the middle, thus absorbing the shocks. Also, the transom (kasai-ishi) is made from 3 pieces, allowing the movement of the pillars.
After the 1949 earthquake, the joints were widely spaced, but the gate resisted and it was easily restored.
- More photos in the Japan Photo Gallery.
