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Why do Shinto shrines have torii gates?

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Small wooden shrine at Arakura Sengen Shinto Shrine in Fujiyoshida, Japan, flanked by two traditional orange lanterns and surrounded by green foliage. — Shintō Shintō shrine with paper streamers, Fujiyoshida, Japan.

In Shinto, a torii is a symbolic gateway that marks the entrance to the sacred space of a shrine. Often painted red, it signifies the boundary between the mundane world and the sacred precincts where the kami reside. While the exact origins are debated, some scholars suggest a connection to Indian gateway arches or traditional Chinese gates, brought to Japan with the spread of Buddhism. Torii also identify other sacred locations, such as mountains or rocks.1