Mon is a generic Japanese term for gate often used, either alone or as a suffix, in referring to the many gates used by Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and traditional-style buildings and castles.
Nikkō Tōshō-gū's omote-mon (front gate) structurally is a hakkyakumon (eight-legged gate)
Hakkyakumon
Heijūmon
Karamon
A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include yett and port. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall or fence, rather than a barrier which closed it. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals, or they may be merely decorative. The moving part or parts of a gateway may be considered "doors", as they are fixed at one side whilst opening and closing like one.
Gate from Bucharest (Romania)
Art Nouveau gate of Castel Béranger (Paris)
Candi bentar, a typical Indonesian gate that is often found on the islands of Java and Bali
Japanese Torii at Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan, where the Hindu goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the Buddhist-Shinto goddess Benzaiten