| Hello Peter and Malin --- I've delayed responding (as I suspect others might, too) because I don't want to discourage you about the design of your gate. The torii gate is only used in Japan to mark the entrance to a Shinto shrine, or to a site or an object recognized as special or sacred. Also, the torii gate is always free-standing and doesn't incorporate side fences. I like to make rustic gates from cedar logs which have only one crosspiece at the top (torii gates have two crosspieces) to distinguish them from torii gates. Of course people are free to use whatever designs they choose and like in their gardens --- it's just that torii gates have a special meaning in Japan and using them decoratively in private gardens would look strange to a Japanese person. As for materials, my company often uses wild spirea and cedar for fences here. Using bamboo in northern climates tends to make fences that look exotic, which is not really in keeping with traditional Japanese garden aesthetics. Japanese gardens tend to make use of local materials. Lee | 
