Nikkō Tōshōgu was built in 1617 as a shrine and mausoleum to deify Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), but it was rennovated and expanded 20 years later. It includes temple and shrine buildings, but the most famous element is the main gate to the shrine. It is known for is bright colors and intricate carvings. The visitor, according to one text on Japanese culture, "is apt to be puzzled and perhaps repelled by the elaborately and garish buildings," which "represent the antithesis of the aesthetic qualities that have inspired the finest works of Japanese art and architecture."