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At home in Melbourne my wife and I tried to create a small Japanese garden in front of our bay-window. The maples are doing well but the concrete stone lantern does not look genuine although its shape is correct. So when I spent a few days in Izumo I found out that an hour's drive away there was a large company which makes Japanese lanterns.
The large variety was mind boggling, but I soon found out that to have a lantern shipped to Australia would cost an arm and a leg, plus the more complex and larger pieces were made guess where? In China of course. I suppose that it's not such a bad thing since the concept of the lantern originally came to Japan from China. However I did find that the stone used in China had a different colouring than that used in Japan. In addition to the points I mentioned, the paperwork involved to have a lantern shipped down under would have put Tolstoy to shame.

Another thing that I found deflating, but in retrospect quite plausible, is that the days of the mason's chisel and hammer were gone (how romantic of me to expect an artisan at work using time consuming methods.)and instead a pneumatic drill/chisel was used.

Before posting this image I trawled through the internet and was amazed how each type of lantern has its own history and significance. I particularly liked the explanation for the squat type with the broad top that you see in the lineup. Trust the Japanese with their love of nature to design a lantern which is enhanced by snow falling on its top- hence a snow- viewing lantern.



Yukimi doro　織部灯籠 - Sometimes called "Snow-viewing Lantern". The exact origins of the Yukimi Stone Lantern are not known for sure, but it is generally thought to be from the Edo period (1600s). It is believed to have been used to mark peninsular landmasses for boaters.

Although “Yukimi” is the Japanese custom of “snow-viewing”, the original Japanese character describing this lantern may have meant ”floating light”.

The customary placement is at the edge of land and water – in the case of a three-legged lantern, one leg on land and the other two in the water. If this lantern were used to indicate the tide, the wide brim would cast light across the water and reflect the light to its base, showing the water level and indicating safe port or landing site for boats.

Like the “snow-viewing” window, this lantern is placed low and is known for its large kasa (roof). It is easy to see how one could appreciate this lantern in the snow, especially with a positiion at the edge of the landscape and the plane of a frozen lake.

Generally, Yukimi doro has a six-sided light box The roof can be anywhere from three to eight-sided or round. It is usually supported by a four-legged base but can have from 3 to 6 legs.