Stone Lanterns in Zenkoji Temple

Update:2019/09/30

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A stone lantern is a lamp to shed light on the surroundings by lighting a candle or oil in the square-windowed fire box. There are 182 lanterns in the grounds of Zenkoji Temple. Old ones have existed since 1397, and the newest ones were built in 1984. Many were donated by prominent leaders of the day. The components of a stone lantern are, from the top to the bottom, Hoju (jewel), Kasa (lamp shade), Hibukuro (fire box), Chudai (central platform), Sao (post), Kiso (base).