Unbekannter Fotograf

The elaborate Niōmon Gate at the Rinnōji Temple in Nikkō became a popular site, mainly through the visual power of the two colossal Niō guardian figures located to the right and left of the gate’s entrance. Ironically, although their function was to guard the temple precincts against impurity, i. e., against non-believers, they instead became a magnet for foreign tourists.