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-konoe-fu (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.
