This is a memorial archway, usually painted in red and black. There is a curved part above the two pillars, which looks a bit like a roof. From a distance, the archway is like a big "open" word. The archway is the gateway to the Shinto shrine, which represents the shrine of Shinto in Japan. As a community house that worships and sacrifices gods in Shintoism, shrine is the oldest type of religious architecture in Japan. It is very common in Japan and is closely related to people's life. In the emojis of WhatsApp and emojidex platforms, the two pillars of the archway are "outside the figure of eight", and the pillars depicted by other platforms all stand upright.
This emoji can represent a shrine or Japan; Sometimes it is used on the map of Japan to show the location of Shinto holy places.
