Hōshin literally translates to “the worship of god.” Hōshin-mon leads to the main hall, Seiden, where the king was revered as a god; or to be more specific, was worshiped as “a child of the Sun.” Of the three doors to Hōshin-mon, the middle door was only open to envoys from China; and no matter how influential and powerful the person, anyone else would have to go through the smaller side doors. When you pass through this gate, you will finally find the ceremonial area “Una” and Seiden.
These days you’re unable to enter Hōshin-mon, as it was destroyed in a fire. But as you head to the next spot on our guide, take a brief moment to look inside at Una. Do you see the red and white stripes on the floor? These stripes had a very practical purpose in those times - they were used to mark where guests should stand at events to keep things orderly.
The white line in Una that runs from Hōshin-mon to Seiden is called “Ukimichi,” or “floating road.” It was said to be sacred, so even government officials weren’t allowed to walk on it. If anyone wanted to go from one side to the other, they would have to do so without stepping on the main white line in the road, first by exiting their side of the Una area and then re-entering from a different door of Hōshin-mon.
