What Is the Meaning of the Japanese Lantern?
Japanese lanterns are a familiar site outside and inside of Japanese restaurants, in gardens during parties and in homes as decorations. Nowadays Japanese lanterns are mostly used to light fixtures, but Japanese lanterns also have several historical and spiritual meanings.
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Religion
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Lanterns came to Japan with Korean Buddhist monks. In Buddhism, lanterns symbolize the enlightenment (deep religious understanding) and the words of the sutras (Buddhist canonical writings).
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Spirituality
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Lanterns are believed to guide spirits to a final, safe and happy resting place.
Forgiveness
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Japanese warlords gave lanterns to temples to prevent the spirits of the victims they killed from returning to haunt them. Lanterns were used as a way to calm the anger of evil spirits.
Commemoration
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During the Japanese Floating Lantern Festival, different types of lanterns are released to commemorate loved ones that have passed away. Sometimes messages are attached to the lanterns before they are released.
Garden Lights
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Lanterns have been used to lighten up gardens since the sixteenth century, a tradition started by a famous tea master Sen-no-Rikyu who used lanterns to illuminate his evening tea ceremonies. Japanese lanterns are still used as garden lights today.
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