Also known as the Middle Gate, the Sanko Gate is an important cultural property said to have been constructed by Toyotomi Hideyori in 1607. There is a plaque on the gate attributed to the Emperor Gosai, and it is said that the gate got its name from three lights inscribed in the woodwork, representing the Sun, the Moon and a Star ("Sanko" literally means "three lights" in Japanese). Another explanation has it that there is no star inscribed. This explanation is based on the story that in the Heian Period, when the Emperor prayed to the shrine in the north from the Daidaiiri Hall, the North Star was shining right over the Sanko Gate, so it was not inscribed in the gate itself. If you go deeper into the shrine grounds through the Sanko Gate and the middle garden, you will see the Entrance Hall and the Main Hall of the shrine, where Michizane is enshrined. It is said that in 1607, Toyotomi Hideyori's father, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, left his son with a last wish, and thus he used the Main Hall building as his official office. The structure is a national treasure representing the imposing and gorgeous Momoyama Period culture with its characteristic "Hiwadabuki" style cypress bark roof, covering an amazing 1,650 m².