Stone lantern

File:Tanzan jinja lanterns at balcony.jpg]]

Also called {{nihongo||掻灯|kaitomoshi}}, {{transliteration|ja|tsuri-dōrō}} hanging lanterns are small, four- or six-sided and made in metal or wood. They were introduced from China via Korea during the Nara period and were initially used in Imperial palaces.

Bronze lanterns, or {{nihongo3|gilt bronze lantern|金銅燈籠|kondō-dōrō}} have a long history in Japan, but are not as common or as diverse in form as the stone ones. In their classic form they are divided in sections that represent the five elements of Buddhist cosmology.

Many have been designated as Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese government. The one in front of Tōdai-ji's {{transliteration|ja|Daibutsuden}} for example has been declared a National Treasure.{{cite web|url=http://www.kohfukuji.com/property/cultural/028.html|title=Kokuhō Jūyō Bunkazai - 金銅燈籠|publisher=Kōfuku-ji|language=ja|access-date=22 April 2010}} Kōfuku-ji has in its museum one built in 816 and which is also a National Treasure.

{{transliteration|ja|Dai-dōrō}} (platform lantern) are most often made of stone; in this case, they are referred to as {{nihongo3|{{lit|stone lantern}}|石灯籠|ishi-dōrō}}.

One of the main historic centres of production of stone lanterns is Okazaki, Aichi. The traditional stonemasonry there was registered by the government as a Japanese craft in 1979.{{Cite web|url=https://kogeijapan.com/locale/en_US/okazakisekkohin/|title = Kogei Japan}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pref.aichi.jp/global/en/industries/traditional/o_stonemasonry.html|title=Okazaki Stonemasonry | Aichi Prefectural Government Official Site}}

File:Diagram of a Japanese three-legged garden lamp.jpg

The traditional components of a stone (or bronze) lantern are, from top to bottom:Iwanami {{nihongo|Kōjien|広辞苑}} Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version

; A. {{nihongo3|{{lit|jewel}}|宝珠|Hōju/hōshu}}

: The onion-shaped part at the very top of the finial.

; B. {{nihongo||請花|Ukebana}}

: The lotus-shaped support of the {{transliteration|ja|hōju}}, together symbolizing the element of Kū (空) or sora, translated as aether, space, void or consciousness.

; C. {{nihongo||笠|Kasa}}

: A conical or pyramidal umbrella covering the firebox. The corners may curl upwards to form the so-called {{nihongo||蕨手|warabide}}, symbolizing 風 Fū or kaze, the element of wind or air.

; D. {{nihongo3|{{lit|fire sack}}|火袋|Hibukuro}}

: The firebox where the fire is lit, symbolizing the element of 火 Ka or hi, meaning "Fire".

; E. {{nihongo3|{{lit|central platform}}|中台|Chūdai}}

: The platform for the fire box, symbolizing the element of 水 Sui or mizu, meaning "Water".

; F. {{nihongo3|{{lit|post}}|竿|Sao}}

: The post, typically oriented vertically and either circular or square in cross-section, possibly with a corresponding "belt" near its middle; occasionally also formed as a sideways coin or disk, as a set of tall thin lotus petals, or as between one and four arched legs (in "snow-viewing" lanterns); absent in hanging lanterns.

; {{nihongo3|{{lit|foundation}}|基礎|Kiso}}

: The base, usually rounded or hexagonal, and absent in a buried lantern (see below).

; {{nihongo3|{{lit|base platform}}|基壇|Kidan}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/t/tourou.htm|title=Tōrō|publisher=JAANUS|access-date=19 April 2010}}

: A variously-shaped slab of rock sometimes present under the base; together the post, base and platform symbolize the element of 地 Chi (sometimes ji) or tsuchi, meaning "Earth".

The lantern's structure is meant to symbolize the five elements of Buddhist cosmology. With the sole exception of the fire box, any parts may be absent. For example, an {{transliteration|ja|oki-dōrō}}, or movable lantern (see below) lacks a post, and rests directly on the ground. It also may lack an umbrella.

Stone lanterns can be classified into five basic groups, each possessing numerous variants.

File:Kasuga-dōrō.jpg

{{nihongo||立ち灯籠|Tachidōrō}}, or pedestal lanterns, are the most common. The base is always present and the fire box is decorated with carvings of deer, peonies or other figures. More than 20 subtypes exist.{{cite web|url=http://homepage.mac.com/inosuke/sekigei/exhib.html|title=Onrain Tenjijō|publisher=Yamamoto Sekigei|language=ja|access-date=20 April 2010}} The following are among the most common:

; {{nihongo||春日灯籠|Kasuga-dōrō}}

: Named after Kasuga-taisha, it is very common at both temples and shrines. The umbrella is small and has either six or eight sides with {{transliteration|ja|warabite}} at the corners. The fire box is either hexagonal or square with carvings representing deer, the sun or moon, or other designs. Tall and thin, it is often found near the second {{transliteration|ja|torii}} of a shrine.

; {{nihongo||柚ノ木灯篭|Yūnoki-dōrō}}

: The second oldest stone lantern in Japan, found at Kasuga Shrine, is a {{transliteration|ja|yūnoki-dōrō}} or citron tree stone lantern.{{cite web|url=http://www.jgarden.org/glossary.asp|title=Glossary|publisher=Japanese Gardens|access-date=22 April 2010}} This style goes back to at least as the Heian period. The post has rings carved at the bottom, middle and top, and the hexagonal base and middle platform may be carved with lotuses or other auspicious motifs. The umbrella is simple and has neither {{transliteration|ja|warabite}} nor an {{transliteration|ja|ukebana}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.kuwayama-museum.jp/teien1%20tourou.htm|title=Teien no Go-annai - Tōrō|publisher=Kuwayama Museum|language=ja|access-date=22 April 2010}} The {{transliteration|ja|yūnoki}} seems to stem from a citron tree that used to stand near the lantern at Kasuga Shrine. This type of lantern became popular in tea house gardens during the Edo period.

File:Kakekomidourou.jpg

{{nihongo||活け込み燈籠|Ikekomi-dōrō}}, or buried lanterns, are moderately sized lanterns whose post does not rest on a base, but goes directly into the ground. Because of their modest size, they are used along paths or at stone basins in gardens. The following are some examples:

; {{nihongo||織部灯籠|Oribe-dōrō}}

: This common type is named after Furuta Shigenari, a nobleman popularly known as Oribe, who designed it to be used in gardens.{{cite web|url=http://www.japanesegardening.org/lanterns/|title=Japanese Lanterns|publisher=Japanese gardening|access-date=20 April 2010}} The fire box is a cube with a window on each side: the front and rear are square, the right and left are shaped as a crescent moon and the full moon respectively. The umbrella is small and four-sided.

; {{nihongo||キリシタン灯籠|Kirishitan-dōrō}}

: This is simply an {{transliteration|ja|oribe-dōrō}} with hidden Christian symbols. This style was born during the persecution of the Christian religion in Japan, when many continued to practice their faith in secret.{{efn|For details, see the article {{transliteration|ja|Kakure Kirishitan}}.}}

; {{nihongo|Mizubotaru-dōrō|水蛍燈籠|Mizubotaru-dōrō}}

: A typical {{transliteration|ja|ikekomi-dōrō}}, its fire box has square openings on two facing sides and double-triangle openings on the other two. This type of lantern is used at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto. The roof is square and rounded.

{{nihongo||置き燈籠|Oki-dōrō}}, or movable lanterns, owe their name to the fact that they just rest on the ground, and are not fixed in any way. This type probably derived from hanging lanterns, which they often strongly resemble, left to rest on the ground. They are commonly used around house entrances and along paths.

One example of a movable lantern would be the {{nihongo3|{{lit|three lights lantern}}|三光灯籠|zankō-dōrō}}, a small stone box with a low roof. Its name, "three lights lantern", is due to its windows, shaped like the sun and the moon in the front and rear, and like a star at the ends. This type of lantern is usually placed near water. It can be found in the garden of the Katsura Villa.

{{nihongo||雪見燈籠|Yukimi-dōrō}}, or legged lanterns, have as a base not a post but from one to six curved legs, and a wide umbrella with a finial either low or absent. Relatively low, they are used exclusively in gardens. The traditional placement is near the water, and a three-legged lantern will often have two legs in the water, and one on land. The umbrella can be round or have from three to eight sides, while the fire box is usually hexagonal.

Legged lanterns were probably developed during the Momoyama period, but the oldest extant examples, found at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto, go back only to the early Edo period.

{{nihongo||野面灯籠|Nozura-dōrō}} are lanterns made with rough, unpolished stones.

Golden lanterns of Miedo, Danjogaran, Koyasan, 2016.jpg|A votive hanging lantern

Rokkaku-tsuri-toro nishiwaki-narita-san 六角釣灯篭1014722.jpg|A hexagonal hanging lantern

Fushimi Inari lantern 01.jpg|Hanging lantern at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Kasuga-taisha17ns4592.jpg|Hanging lanterns lit at Kasuga-taisha

Lantern, Viet - Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC02559.JPG|Exhibit in the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi, Vietnam

Lanterne dans le pavillon des âmes célèbres (Cité impériale, Hué) (4381219337).jpg|Hanging lantern at Imperial City of Huế

Lantern (40304315071).jpg|Hanging lantern at Temple of Literature, Hanoi

File:Huế (2333102721).jpg|Hanging lanterns in Huế

File:Chi Lin Nunnery 10, Mar 06.JPG|Bronze and stone lanterns in Chi Lin Nunnery, Hongkong

File:Horyu-ji43s3200.jpg|Bronze lantern at Hōryū-ji

File:NaraTodaijiL0202.jpg|8th century bronze lantern at Tōdai-ji (National Treasure)

File:NikkoRotatingLantern4994.jpg|Bronze lantern at Nikkō Tōshō-gū

File:Latarnia w Miyajima.JPG|Bronze lantern at Itsukushima Shrine

File:北投不動明王石窟石燈籠.jpg|Stone lantern in Taiwan

File:Wuzhen old town.JPG|Water lantern in Zhejiang Province

File:Kasuga-taisha30bs4592.jpg|{{transliteration|ja|Tachi-dōrō}} of the {{transliteration|ja|kasuga-dōrō}} type

File:Stone lantern - local shrine - kanagawa - 2023 12 20.webm|360° rotation around a stone lantern at a local Shinto shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture

File:TojiKanchiinKirishitan.jpg|A {{transliteration|ja|kirishitan-dōrō}}

File:Dogakuji 08.JPG|{{transliteration|ja|Ikekomi-dōrō}} of the {{transliteration|ja|Kirishitan-dōrō}} type

File:Kita-in Kawagoe Okidourou.jpg|An {{transliteration|ja|oki-dōrō}}

File:Manninko-Joyato01.jpg|A {{transliteration|ja|nozura-dōrō}}

File:Jochi-ji-stone lantern.jpg|Pagoda-shaped lantern at Jōchi-ji

File:Hiromine-jinja Stone Lanterns.jpg|A {{nihongo3|square lantern|角灯籠|kaku-dōrō}}

File:Monuments fell down by 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake in Tokiwa-shrine.JPG|Stone lanterns toppled by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, showing the numerous pieces of carved stone that make up each lantern

File:Korea-Busan-Beomeosa 3299-06 Stone Lantern.JPG|A stone lantern in Korea

File:Đèn đá kiểu Việt ở chùa Thiên Mụ, tháng 3 năm 2021 (2).jpg|A stone lantern at Thiên Mụ Temple, Vietnam

File:Chùa Phật Cô đơn 2022 (đèn đá thấp kiểu Việt Nam).jpg|A stone lanterns at Phật Cô Đơn Temple, Vietnam

File:Co do Hoa Lu 118.JPG|Stone lanterns in Đinh Tiên Hoàng Temple, Ninh Bình, Vietnam

File:Đèn đá kiểu Việt Nam bằng cẩm thạch tại Chùa Bửu Thắng, Tân Phú, tháng 5 năm 2021 (1).jpg|A stone lantern in Bửu Thắng Temple, HCMC, Vietnam

File:Japanese_lantern_in_Washington.jpg|Japanese lantern in Washington

File:Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, Tahara Snow Lantern.jpg|Four-legged {{transliteration|ja|yukimi-dōrō}}

File:IMG 2660.jpg|Three legged {{transliteration|ja|yukimi-dōrō}}. One leg rests on ground, two in water.

File:IMG 2590.jpg|Two-legged {{transliteration|ja|yukimi-dōrō}}

File:Rankei-dourou.jpg|One-legged {{transliteration|ja|rankei-dōrō}}

• Traditional lighting equipment of Japan
• Glossary of Shinto

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