Japanese Lantern

A traditional Japanese stone lantern was dedicated in Sakura Park on October 2, 1960, as a gift of international friendship from the citizens of the Metropolis of Tokyo to the citizens of the City of New York in celebration of the Tokyo-New York sister-city affiliation inaugurated on February 29, 1960. Known as an ishi toro, the Japanese stone lantern was traditionally used for illumination at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and during the Momoyama period, from 1573 to 1615, its sculptural form was adapted for decorative use in tea gardens or roji. Usually made of granite or syenite, these lanterns varied in size and proportion according to their placement in the garden, and diverse styles evolved as their original function as housings for oil or candles gave way to a decorative purpose. The example in Sakura Park is in the kasuga-toro style, with a stylized lotus flower at the base of the capital, reliefs of imaginary animals, and a capstone with six volutes. The style originated in the province of Kasuga, and this particular lantern was built and carved by skilled Japanese artisans in 1930. It stands more than 14 feet high, weighs close to seven tons, and was delivered to the United States aboard the maritime training vessel Nippon Maru. Another Japanese toro may be seen locally at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The dedication ceremony was attended by Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko, along with 1,500 onlookers. In October 1987, Akihito, then Emperor, returned with the princess and participated in a ceremony at the lantern attended by Mayor Edward I. Koch, Commissioner Stern, and Gordon Evans, president of International House, built in 1924. The adjacent multi-story residence and cultural center serves numerous foreign and American students attending institutions of higher learning in the metropolitan region. Sakura Park takes its name from the Japanese word for cherry tree, and in 1912 Parks received a consignment of two thousand cherry trees from Japan, many of which were planted in the vicinity of Riverside Park. Together, the landscape and the lantern represent an enduring and flowering exchange between the American and Japanese people.

New York, New York · United States