At the sides of Nandaimon gate, there are the two Nio guardians wooden sculptures, Ungyo (in the photo) and Agyo, which are the two guardians of Buddha. The sculptures are 8.5m tall and were created at the beginning of 13th century. They have never been moved from these place since then.
In the photo, Ungyo is depicted either bare-handed or wielding a sword. He symbolizes latent strength, holding his mouth tightly shut. His mouth is rendered to form the sound "hū" or "Un", leading to his alternate name "Ungyō".
