What is the name of the gate that separates the living world from the underworld in Shinto myth?

The gate or boundary separating the living world from the underworld in Shinto mythology is Yomotsu-hirasaka.

Yomotsu-hirasaka is described in Japanese mythology as a slope or boundary between the world of the living and Yomi, the realm of the dead. It is especially important in the story of Izanagi and Izanami, the divine pair credited with creating the Japanese islands and many kami.

After Izanami dies, Izanagi follows her into Yomi and tries to bring her back. Their encounter ends disastrously, and Izanagi escapes. He then blocks the passage with a large stone, establishing a separation between life and death. The name is often translated or explained as the “slope of Yomi.”

The term is sometimes rendered with different spellings, including Yomotsu Hirasaka and Yomotsu-hirasaka. It is also described as a boundary, road, or passage rather than a constructed gate. That variation does not change the mythological answer; the other options refer to heavenly realms, bridges, or famous sacred caves.