Heiwa-no-Torii (Hakone Shrine)

The Heiwa-no-Torii stands directly in the waters of Lake Ashi, painted a vivid vermilion that contrasts against the deep greens of the surrounding forest. This gate marks the entrance to Hakone Shrine, though it sits separated from the main temple complex by the road. In nineteen fifty-two, the former chief priest of the shrine erected this structure to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco, which formally ended the Allied occupation of Japan and restored the nation's sovereignty.