The two types of pagoda finial (''sōrin''), in bronze
(''

tahōtō A is a form of Japanese pagoda found primarily at Esoteric Shingon and Tendai school Buddhist temples. It is unique among pagodas because it has an even number of stories (two). (The second story has a balustrade and seems habitable, but ...

'') and stone (''

hōkyōintō A is a Japanese pagoda, so called because it originally contained the .Iwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary A Chinese variant of the Indian stūpa, it was originally conceived as a cenotaph of the King of Wuyue – Qian Liu. Structure and func ...

'')

The is the vertical shaft ( finial) which tops a

Japanese pagoda Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō'' Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or and historically derive from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were origi ...

, whether made of stone or wood.Pagodas can be made of wood or stone, and the two types are very different. Stone pagodas like the ''

'' are always small compared to wooden ones (usually below three meters), and offer little or no usable space inside. For details, see the article '' Tō'' The ''sōrin'' of a wooden pagoda is usually made of bronze and can be over 10 meters tall. That of a stone pagoda is also of stone and less than a meter long. The ''sōrin'' is divided in several sections possessing a symbolic meaning and, as a whole, in turn itself represents a pagoda. Although quintessentially Buddhist, in Japan pagodas and their ''sōrin'' can be found both at

Buddhist temples A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

and Shinto shrines. This is because until the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868 a Shinto shrine was normally also a Buddhist temple and vice versa. Itsukushima Shrine for example has one.

Support system

The ''sōrin'' is supported by a long shaft, often obtained by joining two or even three shorter ones, that runs to the base of the edifice. Although it is often believed that the pillar at the core of a Japanese pagoda is a device to strengthen it against earthquakes, its sole purpose is to support the long and heavy bronze ''sōrin''. In many cases the central shaft doesn't reach the ground, but has its base somewhere above it within the pagoda, where it is supported by beam or other means. At

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in t ...

(1818), for example, it is suspended with chains from the fourth floor. From its base exits a long tenon which, penetrating a mortise in a , prevents it from oscillating. This structure was adopted not as a measure against earthquakes but because, with aging, the wood of the pagoda, whose grain is mostly horizontal, tends to shrink more than that of the vertical shaft, causing the opening of a gap between the two at the roof. From the gap rain would enter, causing rot. In other cases, this was done to allow the opening of a room at the ground floor and therefore create some usable space. (Early wooden pagodas had no usable space.)

Structure

Wooden pagodas

The ''sōrin'' of a wooden pagoda is usually made of bronze and is divided in several segments called (from top to bottom): * The , a spherical or tear-shaped object, shapes sacred to Buddhism. Believed to repel evil and fulfill wishes, it can be also found on top of pyramidal temple roofs, of stone lanterns or of tall poles. It can have flames, in which case it is called . Those made before the

Momoyama period Momoyama may refer to: History *Azuchi–Momoyama period, the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japanese history 1568–1600 People *Ion Momoyama, Japanese singer and voice actor *Momoyama Kenichi (1909–1991), Korean prince and cavalry office ...

tend to be rounder. * The , the piece immediately below the ''hōju'' * The , consisting of four decorative sheets of metal set at 90° to each other and installed over the top of the main pillar of a pagoda. *The , small bells attached to the edges of a ''sōrin's'' rings or of the ''suien''. * The , the largest component of the ''sōrin''. In spite of their name, there can sometimes be only eight or even seven of them. *The , a circle of upturned lotus petals, usually eight in number. There can also be another circle of petals facing down. * The , which sits between the ''ukebana'' and the ''roban''. *The , on which rests the entire finial. Because it covers the top of the roof in order to prevent leaks, it normally has as many sides as the roof itself (four, six or eight).

Stone pagodas

The most important stone pagoda having a finial is the ''

''. Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, ''hōkyōintō'' started to be made in their present form during the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

. Like a ''

gorintō ("five-ringed tower") is a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposesKōjien Japanese Dictionary and is therefore ...

'', they are divided in five main sections, of which the ''sōrin'' is the uppermost. Its components are, from the top down: *''Hōju'' *''Ukebana'' *''Kurin'' *''Ukebana'' *''Roban''. The sōrin sits on the or , a stepped pyramid with four wings at the corners called or .Shinkō no Katachi - Hōkyōintō
Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed on June 10, 2011

Support system

Structure

Wooden pagodas

Stone pagodas

Sōrintō

Notes

References