Shrine entrances are marked by a two-post gateway with either one or two crossbeams atop it, known as "torii". The exact details of these "torii" varies and there are at least twenty different styles. These are regarded as demarcating the area where the "kami" resides; passing under them is often viewed as a form of purification. More broadly, "torii" are internationally recognised symbols of Japan. Their architectural form is distinctly Japanese, although the decision to paint most of them in vermillion reflects a Chinese influence dating from the Nara period. Also set at the entrances to many shrines are "komainu", statues of lion or dog like animals perceived to scare off malevolent spirits; typically these will come as a pair, one with its mouth open, the other with its mouth closed.