In the Heian Period, the center of government was the Daigoku-den Hall, where the Emperor appeared and made proclamations, called Mikotonori. Entering by the Oten-mon Gate, the courtyard in front of the Daigoku-den Hall at the Heian Jingu Shrine is flanked by the Soryu-ro Tower on the left and the Byakko-ro Tower on the right. The columns of these structures are painted bright vermillion, and the roofs are covered with heki-gawara style blue-green tiles, rare for shrines or temples, making the present-day shrine look like a Heian Period building. Constructed in the Shinden-zukuri style, a style favored by the nobles of that period for residences, the front of the Daigoku-den Hall measures 30 meters in width. In the front garden, facing the hall, there is the Sakon-no-Sakura Cherry Tree on the right and the Ukon-no-Tachibana Wild Orange Tree on the left, representing the flow of the seasons, and an ornamental balustrade known as the Ryubidan (dragon's tail) dividing the interior grounds into a north-south configuration.