Kotoji Stone Lantern

The Kotoji stone lantern stands on the edge of the pond with two legs of uneven length instead of the standard single pedestal. One leg rests firmly on the ground while the other sits on a stone base in the water. This design mimics the shape of a bridge for a koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument. In eighteen seventy-four, a fire destroyed much of the nearby castle town, yet this lantern remained standing, becoming a quiet survivor of Kanazawa's turbulent feudal transition.