In the front yard of the Shishinden, a tachibana citrus is planted to the left, and a cherry blossom tree is planted to the right. During ceremonies, military officers from the Sa-u-Konoefu (Literally, "Left and Right Guard Offices") were positioned near each tree. Later, they became known as "Ukon no Tachibana"(Tachibana Citrus on the Right) and "Sakon no Sakura" (Cherry Blossom on the Left). While the tachibana citrus, an evergreen tree, symbolizes eternity, the cherry blossom tree, whose blossoms last only for a short time and begin to fall all at once, is associated with ephemerality.
