Karamon Gate (Important Cultural Property)
This is the entrance to the main shrine area of the Taiyūin Mausoleum. Under the curved gables are two large, intricately carved white cranes on a background of pine trees with peonies, a combination that symbolizes longevity and happiness in Chinese and Japanese art. Cranes also have an association with the afterlife, as they are said to convey the spirits of the dead to the next world. Below these are a pair of white dragons on a background of waves of blue and gold. Each door is adorned with a large, colorful phoenix on a gold ground.
Sacred Fence (Important Cultural Property)
Each panel of the fence that surrounds the inner shrine of the mausoleum has carvings of doves above a central section of blue latticework. Each individual carving is unique, and the birds are surrounded by various auspicious plants, such as pine, bamboo, and plum trees.