Sakashitamon Gate

Sakashitamon is the gate leading to the inner shrine of Toshogu, where Tokugawa Ieyasu is entombed at the top of 207 stone steps. During the Edo period only the ruling shogun could pass through it. Built in 1636 and designated an Important Cultural Property, it is covered in symbolic carvings: the Tokugawa hollyhock-leaf crest on the roof tiles, chrysanthemums for longevity on the lintel, and cranes above them, which Japanese mythology holds to be messengers that carry souls to paradise. The basic wooden structure has stayed unchanged for nearly 400 years, though roof tiles and metalwork have been replaced.