Stone lanterns, Ishidōrō (石灯籠) in Japanese, are without a doubt the most characteristic part of the traditional Japanese garden. The phenomenon originated from China more than a thousand years ago, from there it spread to Korea and eventually was integrated into Japanese culture as well. All Japanese holy sites, such as Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, use stone lanterns as sacred light sources. During the 16th century, stone lanterns became very popular among Japanese tea masters and they were used to light the path through the tea garden leading towards the tea house. Ever since then, one or multiple stone lanterns are featured in almost every traditional Japanese garden.

A Japanese stone lantern is made up of multiple independent parts that need to be carefully stacked on top of each other to create a perfectly balanced lantern.

The Miyoshi Gata Ishidōrō (みよし型石灯籠) is one of the most beloved Japanese stone lanterns without a base platform. The pillar has to be placed in the ground for a small portion. Stone lanterns like this fall under a category called Ikekomi lanterns (活込灯篭).

According to Japanese history, the Miyoshi lantern was first introduced at crossroads by a man named Miyoshi, who the lantern was named after. Different sources state that he designed the lantern with the intention of making the world a brighter place. Now the Miyoshi lantern is not just used at only crossroads. It is famous for its role in many Japanese gardens big and small, often being placed along a path. Miyoshi lanterns are very recognizable due to the iconic Hiragana characters spelling out Miyoshi on the front.

Specifications
- Depth = 14.57 inch
- Width = 10.63 inch
- Height = 41.34 inch

- Origin: Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, Japan
- Material: Shirakawa Steen (白川石)
- Age: Shōwa Period