A torii is the gate to a shrine and the entrance to a sacred place. It is customary to bow when passing through a torii gate.
This torii gate is primarily constructed of granite. The best quality stone was imported all the way from Bizen Province (in the area of what is today the southeast region of Okayama Prefecture), territory of the Ikeda clan and hometown of Furihime (1607-1659), wife of Date Tadamune (1600-1658), second lord of the Sendai Domain and builder of the shrine. It is known for being the oldest stone torii in Miyagi Prefecture.
Due to its sturdy underground structure, it was even strong enough to withstand the intensity of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

The Zuijinmon Gate protects the shrine by enshrining statues of Zuijin armed with bows and arrows on either side of the gate. Zuijin is a term that was used long ago for a warrior who accompanied a nobleman to protect him when he went out.
The roof is made with a hip-and-gable design known as “Irimoya-zukuri”. It is thatched with thin sheets of copper. On the front of the gate, in the center of its upper story, is a plaque with “Toshogu” written on it.
The wooden framework behind the eaves is elaborate and massive. Zuijinmon Gate’s massive roof is so large that it can be seen even from the southern end of Miyamachi-dori Street a full 1.5 kilometers away.

Karamon Gate has a shape that resembles a bow turned sideways, with a roof that is elevated at the center, with curved lines flowing outward to the sides. The mountain-shaped boards affixed to the sides of the roof are known as “Karahafu”. Since this Karahafu gable is on the front of the gate, it was given the name Mukai-karamon Gate (mukai means "facing").
Accents such as decorative metal fittings and gold leaf are placed at key points such as on the fixtures and ends of timber to enhance the gate's luxurious impression. The boards of the double doors are also adorned with gold leaf. On these doors, carved in circular relief are three mythical creatures: from the top, Ho-o (phoenix), Karajishi (Chinese lion), and Kirin (chimera).
The doors now only open once a year on April 17th, the day of its annual festival.

The Sukibei Wall surrounds the Honden, the most important building in the shrine, and keeps it separate from the earthly world. Entrance is forbidden to everyone but the priests who serve the shrine. It has a total perimeter of 79.4 meters.
The lower portion of the wall is decorated with a lattice of diagonally intersecting crosspieces in a design called tasukisan. Above it the window frames are fitted with a series of thin, vertically spaced wood strips forming a latticework known as renjimado, through which one can see the shrine grounds inside where the Honden is located. Metal fixtures and other decorations adorn the entire structure, giving it a refined appearance.

The Honden (Main Hall) is a sacred building dedicated to the shrine’s deity. On both ends of the roof’s ridge, one can see V-shaped protrusions called chigi jutting out diagonally. Chigi is a remnant of ancient building methods that have become a distinctive symbol of shrine architecture.
　The building is made entirely of zelkova wood. Transparent lacquer is applied to the wood so that its grain is visible, with the edges, balustrades, and stairs lacquered in red, and the walls and floors lacquered in black.
　The door also features a hemp leaf pattern and round relief carvings with tennyo (heavenly maidens), dragons, and karajishi (Chinese lions) inside of them. In addition, the metal fittings of the doors are decorated with cloisonné enamel. Decorations of this type are found only at the Toshogu shrines in Nikko and Sendai.
　The Honden brings together the most magnificent examples of Date culture, with sculptures covered with gold leaf and colorfully painted, and elaborate cast-metal fittings at key points.