R¿mon is a traditional two-storied gate found in a place of worship in Japan. R¿means multi-storied, and mon means gate in Japanese. A typical r¿mon in Japan is constructed with wood; massive and decorative; and has a large hip-and-gable roof and a wraparound small balcony with railings. R¿mons that are noted for their artistic beauty and historical significance tend to belong to Shinto shrines. Yet no one can answer such simple question as how many r¿mons exist in Shinto shrines in Japan. This very first book about Shinto r¿mons has two parts. Part 1 is about reporting results of my search for existing Shinto r¿mons across Japan. First, I explain the unique and systematic techniques I used to search for existing r¿mons. Then I report findings from my search. Results are organized by various topics, such as time of construction, geographic location, relative spatial position, notable exterior characteristics, zuijin statues, and preservation of r¿mons. Findings are primarily aggregated at the group level, but notable examples of individual cases (specific r¿mons) are also provided. In short, Part 1 is designed to answer such basic questions as What is r¿mon? What do they look like? and Where are they located? Part 2 is about lost Shinto r¿mons. The existing r¿mons are only a small part of the r¿mons that have ever been built, and on average in every several years a r¿mon is lost due to fire, earthquake, old age, among other reasons. Part 2 consists of a collection of fascinating stories and trivia of lost Shinto r¿mons. These stories and trivia relate to specific shrines, famous persons, or historic events, and are organized chronologically. Examples of topics include Iwashimizu Hachimang¿ - Eight Generations of R¿mons, Kashiwahgi Jinja - Musical Chairs of R¿mons, The Toyotomi Clan vs. the Tokugawa Clan - Who is the R¿mon Shogun?, End of the Syncretism - Did Shinto Shrines Lose R¿mons? and A Forgotten Lost Shinto R¿mon Overseas. This book also contains 12 tables, 8 figures, a glossary of Shinto gates, and bibliography. Finally, the appendix lists all 225 existing r¿mons, their locations, structural designs, and historic preservation designations.