The Japanese garden lantern is a major element of design in the garden. Find out about the history and use of garden lanterns in Japanese gardening…
The popularity of Japanese style gardening has soared to new heights in recent years. The tradition of Japanese gardening is more of an art form and just like all art forms have their own elements the Japanese garden too has its own list of items that complete the garden.
The use of lanterns is a small but integral part of capturing the essence of a Japanese garden. The Japanese have made use of specially crafted garden lanterns ever since the concept of Japanese gardening evolved in ancient times. Hence this is one element that cannot be undermined or overlooked if you really want your garden to have that Japanese touch.
The garden lantern serves two fold purposes. On its own it looks like a sculptured showpiece that acts as one of the focal points of the garden. This of course depends on the kind of garden lantern you will be using and the quantity as well.
The true magic of the Japanese garden lanterns comes to play when night falls and these lamps are ignited bringing the entire garden to light. Typical Japanese garden lanterns do not throw out an excessive amount of light that will brighten up the whole place. Rather the light that radiates out of these lanterns are dim and bring about a sense of serenity shedding enough light for the visitor to make his way through the garden while appreciating its beauty.
Japanese Stone Lanterns
There is a wide variety of styles when it comes to Japanese garden lanterns. Stone lanterns are amongst the oldest and most popular garden lanterns found in Japanese gardens. In the good old days lanterns were the only means of lighting up the place. Today however the main purpose of using garden lanterns is to capture the essence of the ancient Japanese traditions.
This is not to say that the decorative Japanese garden lanterns of today are void of their lighting function. In fact they produce the exact desired amount of light to illuminate the surroundings in the best possible manner.
A garden lantern can act as an excellent focal point depending upon its placement. Classic placements of garden lanterns include next to a waterfall or any other water feature that has been incorporated in the garden setting. The dim light is reflected back by the surface of the water adding even more mystique to the surroundings.
Stone lanterns are favored by the masses because they are built from plain and natural materials and tend to have a rugged shape. Hence when compared to other building materials the stone lanterns have a more distinctive look.
You will be able to find a wide variety of hand crafted Japanese garden lanterns made from different materials such as granite that last long and look good as well. There are four basic categories of Japanese lanterns for you to choose from. They include pedestal lanterns, buried lanterns, small set lanterns and snow viewing lanterns.
