A general term for the standardized stone lanterns seen at the Kasuga shrine in Nara. The base and platform are hexagonal in outline and have lotus petal designs, the shaft is cylindrical, and the lamp housing is also hexagonal. Two sides of the lamp housing are opened to admit an oil lamp; the remaining four sides being carved respectively with a stag, a doe, the sun and the moon. The roof is also hexagonal and has corner scrolls, and is topped by a jewel finial on a flower bowl base.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
