The gates at the entrance of Buddhist temples, besides their obvious use, have a religious role, protecting the temple’s grounds against evil spirits. Thus, there are often Buddhist guardians enshrined in the gates, and the name of the gate is given by them.

Photographed here is a Nitenmon, a type of gate that enshrine two statues of Buddhist gods called in Japanese ten, hence its name: Nitenmon means “gate of two ten.”

Nitenmon Gate, Shibamata Taishakuten, Katsushika, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Shika deer in Nara