Kimon is based on a story in a Chinese classic text "Shan Hai Jing" (Classic of the mountains and the sea), that defined the northwest (inui; between the Dog (eleventh sign of Chinese zodiac which means west-northwest) and the Boar (twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac which means north-northwest)) as 'tenmon' (deva gate), the southwest (hitsuji-saru) as 'jinmon' (man's gate), southeast (tatsumi; between the Dragon (fifth sign of Chinese zodiac which means east-southeast) and the Serpent (sixth sign of Chinese zodiac which means south-southeast) as 'fumon' (wind's gate) and northeast (ushi-tora) as 'kimon.'
鬼門は、古代中国の書物『山海経』にある物語が元となっており、北西（乾）を「天門」、南西（坤）を「人門」、南東（巽）を「風門」、北東（艮）を「鬼門」としたことによる。