Japanese Gardens in America 
snow-view lantern, so called because the flat circular 
roof holds the heaped up snow better than any 
other form. 
According to Bunkio Matsuki, who is an authority 
on the legends and traditions of this feature of garden 
decoration, “ there is, of course, a story of the origin 
of the stone lantern. It appears that Prince Iruldko, 
son of the Emperor Suijin (20 B. C.) acted at one 
time as village chief of Kawachi, near Sayama. In 
this capacity he had had dug an ornamental pond for 
his village, as had long been the fashion in China and 
Japan. But at night robbers infested the neighbor¬ 
hood, and Iruhiko, to make his pond safe for his 
villagers, caused his brother, Ishitsukuri, who had 
become famous as a sculptor, to make a lantern of 
stone to light up its banks. This first of stone lan¬ 
terns he solemnly christened—if we may use the ex¬ 
pression— with a name as long as a princess— 
‘Ishi-wakengo, jin-wo kudakazu, hi-wa yo yami-wo 
tasuku;’ meaning ‘The stone, eternal, never op¬ 
presses benevolence; tbe hre, energetic, enlightens 
the darkness.’ This lantern, still existing in the 
garden of a Buddhist temple, is about eight feet high, 
square in form, with a round pillar,the hre globe is 
cracked and has been bound with a copper belt. 
“Stone lanterns are now common all over Japan. 
Every little dooryard even m crowded cities has its 
miniature landscape garden and, if the owner can, 
by hook or crook accomplish it, a stone lantern as 
well. It is often the most important element in the 
landscape composition. It is seen gleaming at night 
above the reeds and lily pads of a little pond; it 
occupies a corner by the well, a few stalks of iris 
THE SNOW-VIEW LANTERN IS WELL PLACED ON A LEDGE OF ROCK 
OVERHANGING THE LAKE 
PURELY JAPANESQUE BOTH IN LANTERNS 
AND DECORATIVE FOLIAGE 
planted between; it is placed on a stone bridge 
across a little stream which goes winding on among 
flat rocks and grassy spaces; 
it illumines dark pine branches 
and snowy cherry blossoms; it 
stands close to the garden gate 
of pleated bamboo, or is 
perched above the garden wall 
to light the highway as well as 
the little private demesne. 
Usually it is placed where its 
light will be reflected in the 
running or still water.” 
The most picturesque of the 
stone lanterns in the Homer 
garden is in the latter position. 
A ledge of overhanging rock 
on the margin of the lake sup¬ 
ports an attractive yiiknni 
gafa, or snow-view lantern, 
set so close to the margin that 
it is clearly reflected in the 
pool, while good types of the 
time-honored wooden lanterns 
stand guard at either end of a 
rustic bridge leading over the 
lake. 
19 
