Karamon Chinese Gate

The Karamon at Taiyuinbyo Mausoleum in Nikko is smaller and quieter than the other gates in the complex, with carvings chosen for personal meaning rather than intimidation. Above the entryway are paired dragons and cranes: dragons because Shogun Iemitsu was born in the year of the dragon, cranes as symbols of long life. One hundred carved pigeons line the wainscoting, associating the gate with Hachiman, the god of warriors. The gate's most distinctive feature is the karahafu gable, a rounded shape reserved for high-ranking buildings. The style is Japanese in execution despite its Chinese name and architectural roots.