Small Torii

1. You may find small torii on walls — sometimes made of wood or simply drawn in red paint — in places like residential areas. These are placed for the purpose of deterring public urination and illegal dumping of garbage.

2. Regardless of religion, the Japanese regard torii as sacred objects. Therefore, they feel that defiling torii may “incur a curse” so they will not risk bad deeds.

3. During the Edo period, there were many public toilets in the town of Kyoto. But once those toilets were dismantled in the Meiji era, many people resorted to public urination. At the time, bewildered residents built small torii in the hopes of stopping this practice. Since the solution was effective, the custom of using torii has continued into the present day and is still seen in many places.