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Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō'' After the Meiji Restoration the word ''tō'', once used exclusively in a religious context, came to mean also "tower" in the western sense, as for example in . Of the Japanese pagoda's many forms, some are built in wood and are collectively known as , but most are carved out of stone (. Wood pagodas are large buildings with either two stories (like the , see photo below) or an odd number of stories. Extant wood pagodas with more than two storeys have almost always either three storeys (and are therefore called ) or five (and are called . Stone pagodas are nearly always small, usually well below 3 m metres, and as a rule offer no usable space. If they have more than one storey, pagodas are called or . A pagoda's size is measured in ''ken'', where a ''ken'' is the interval between two pillars of a traditional-style building. A ''tahōtō'' for example can be either 5x5 ken or 3x3 ''ken''. The word is usually translated in English as "bay" and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement. ==History== The ''stupa'' was originally a simple mound containing the Buddha's ashes which in time became more elaborate, while its finial grew proportionally larger.〔Jaanus, ''Tou''〕 After reaching China, the stupa met the Chinese watchtower and evolved into the pagoda, a tower with an odd number of storeys.〔Odd numbers are strongly favoured by Chinese numerology and Buddhism. They are supposed to represent yang, that is, the male and positive principle, and are therefore considered lucky.〕 Its use then spread to Korea and, from there, to Japan. Following its arrival in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century, the pagoda became one of the focal points of the early Japanese ''garan''.〔Temple compound, ideally composed of seven buildings.〕 In Japan it evolved in shape, size and function, finally losing its original role as a reliquary. It also became extremely common, while on the Asian continent it is rare.〔Scheid, Japanische Pagoden〕 With the birth of new sects in later centuries, the pagoda lost importance and was consequently relegated to the margins of the ''garan''. Temples of the Jōdo sects rarely have a pagoda.〔 During the Kamakura period the Zen sect arrived in Japan and their temples do not normally include a pagoda. Pagodas originally were reliquaries and did not contain sacred images, but in Japan many, for example Hōryū-ji's five-storied pagoda, enshrine statues of various deities.〔 To allow the opening of a room at the ground floor and therefore create some usable space, the pagoda's central shaft, which originally reached the ground, was shortened to the upper stories, where it rested on supporting beams.〔 In that room are enshrined statues of the temple's main objects of worship. Inside Shingon pagodas there can be paintings of deities called ; on the ceiling and on the central shaft there can be decorations and paintings.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Japanese pagoda」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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