Outside a Japanese home, in a Japanese garden, in the entrance way to a restaurant, or even just by the side of the road, you may find the Japanese stone lantern. I guess at one time they may have had a fire burning in them to light the way, but now they are mostly decoration. More than decoration, they are pieces of Art.
Looking out the window of a ryokan up in Ohara was a lantern that sits on a rock. Unfortunately the window in our window looked out into the back yards of the neighbors behind. Although there were only two rooms being occupied at this time the kami-san felt that gijins were not appropriate for the rooms with a view. Its still a nice lantern.
Here's a simply elegant one I saw at a temple in Sagano—just a cube carved out of a rock.
The ones we often see in pictures here in the US are usually symmetrical and finely finished, but most often the lanterns in Japan are asymmetrical and rougher. Sometimes they may be just stones piled one on top of the other
Two lanterns at Eiheiji, a temple in the mountains founded by Dogen. He went to China in the 13th century and brought Zen back to Japan. My father in law was buried here. When we went to the ceremony it was a gorup session. About 20 families were in each ceremony which took about 45 minutes. It was on a weekend and it was continuous sessions all day both Saturday and Sunday. Each family paid about $1000.00. Dogen thought working in the kitchen was good experience.
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At Seto, a famous area for pottery for many centuries, (Setoyaki) one would expect to find a lantern made of clay.
Here is a lantern at a temple.
and a shrine.
Above and below is an unusual lantern from both sides.
This is the lantern that my parents borught back from Japan. It was in their yard in New Mexico for many years. Everytime I visited it would be in a different place.