priestswhogaveitsplendourarescattered，andsixShintopriestsalternatelyattenduponitasmuchforthepurposeofsellingticketsofadmissionasforanypriestlyduties。
Allroads，bridges，andavenueshereleadtotheseshrines，butthegrandapproachisbytheRedBridge，andupabroadroadwithstepsatintervalsandstone-facedembankmentsateachside，onthetopofwhicharebeltsofcryptomeria。Atthesummitofthisascentisafinegranitetorii，27feet6incheshigh，withcolumns3feet6
inchesindiameter，offeredbythedaimiyoofChikuzenin1618fromhisownquarries。Afterthiscome118magnificentbronzelanternsonmassivestonepedestals，eachofwhichisinscribedwiththeposthumoustitleofIyeyasu，thenameofthegiver，andalegendoftheoffering——allthegiftsofdaimiyo——aholywatercisternmadeofasolidblockofgranite，andcoveredbyaroofrestingontwentysquaregranitepillars，andabronzebell，lantern，andcandelabraofmarvellousworkmanship，offeredbythekingsofCoreaandLiukiu。Ontheleftisafive-storiedpagoda，104feethigh，richlycarvedinwoodandasrichlygildedandpainted。Thesignsofthezodiacrunroundthelowerstory。
Thegrandentrancegateisatthetopofahandsomeflightofstepsfortyyardsfromthetorii。AloopedwhitecurtainwiththeMikado’screstinblack，hangspartiallyoverthegateway，inwhich，beautifulasitis，onedoesnotcaretolinger，toexaminethegildedamainuinniches，orthespiritedcarvingsoftigersundertheeaves，fortheviewofthefirstcourtoverwhelmsonebyitsmagnificenceandbeauty。Thewholestyleofthebuildings，thearrangements，theartofeverykind，thethoughtwhichinspiresthewhole，areexclusivelyJapanese，andtheglimpsefromtheNi-ogateisarevelationofapreviouslyundreamed-ofbeauty，bothinformandcolour。
Roundtheneatlypebbledcourt，whichisenclosedbyabrightredtimberwall，arethreegorgeousbuildings，whichcontainthetreasuresofthetemple，asumptuousstableforthethreesacredAlbinohorses，whicharekeptfortheuseofthegod，amagnificentgranitecisternofholywater，fedfromtheSomendakicascade，andahighlydecoratedbuilding，inwhichacompletecollectionofBuddhistScripturesisdeposited。Fromthisaflightofstepsleadsintoasmallercourtcontainingabell-tower“ofmarvellousworkmanshipandornamentation，“adrum-tower，hardlylessbeautiful，ashrine，thecandelabra，bell，andlanternmentionedbefore，andsomeverygrandbronzelanterns。