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Traditional Chinese and Japanese lantern

are a type of traditional East Asian lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Originating in China, stone lanterns spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam, though they are most commonly found in both China – extant in Buddhist temples and traditional Chinese gardens – and Japan. Their use in Shinto shrines and also private homes started during the Heian period (794–1185). During the Azuchi Momoyama period (1568–1600), stone lanterns were popularized by tea masters, who used them as garden ornaments. The bottom most piece, touching the ground, represents chi, the earth; the next section represents sui, or water; ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern's light or flame, while fū (air) and kū (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top most and pointing towards the sky. The segments express the idea that after death a person's physical body will go back to their original, elemental form.

Also called (掻灯), tsuri dōrō hanging lanterns are small, four or six sided and made in metal Kōfuku ji has in its museum one built in 816 and which is also a National Treasure.

Dai dōrō (platform lantern) are most often made of stone; in this case, they are referred to as
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.

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

(置き燈籠), 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 , 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.

(雪見燈籠), 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.