Yomeimon+Gate

Yomeimon Gate, in Nikko, is an ornate structure that was carved by about 130,000 craftsmen with an unlimited budget. Ieyasu's son, who was the second shogun, Hidetada, requested that the Nikko Toshogu Shrine be built in honor of his father, the first man to completely conquer Japan as one whole state. Then the third shogun, Iemitsu, had it improved during his reign, thinking it just wasn't good enough for his grandfather. This temple, however, was not made to be absolutely perfect; they put one of the columns of the gate upside down because it would have angered the gods if something so beautiful was absolutely perfect with no flaws at all. The name of the gate originally came from one of twelve gates in the Imperial court in Kyoto. The Yomeimon Gate is a national treasure in Japan. Of all the structures in Nikko, this gate is considered the masterpiece of them all and something millions of tourists flock to year round to even get a glimpse at. It is like the Mona Lisa of Japan, if you will.

What makes this gate s amazing and special is that the gate has over 500 sculptures on it. Included in these sculptures are some fantasy creatures and some other strange made up creatures. Something that makes an appearance on the gate more than once are three monkeys in the "see no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil" pose. Other examples of something you would not expect to see on a gate in Japan would be giraffes and elephants, which as you know are not native to Japan nor anywhere near Japan. Some of their made up creatures include horse-dragons and mysterious fish-type creatures. Altogether, there are 194 different imaginary animals on the gate. Also included on this gate are hundreds of statues from almost every Japanese legend you can think of. This gate encompasses almost all Japanese culture in one giant piece of art, something that was well worth the millions and millions of Japanese yen it took to make.