How to make a Japanese stone lantern. Japanese lanterns for the garden

Japanese lantern for the garden is unusual design solution, which allows the owner to demonstrate his taste and ability to select non-standard solutions in matters of garden decoration.

Types of flashlights

IN last years The popularity of Japanese stone lanterns has increased significantly, but not many people know that in ancient times such lanterns were used in temples and monasteries to protect fire from various external factors. They began to be used for practical purposes only in the 16th century.

There are several types of similar flashlights

When choosing Japanese lanterns, you need to start from the fact that they are produced using ancient technologies, thanks to which in the daytime they serve as a beautiful and elegant decoration of the garden, and at nightfall they perform their main function of illuminating the area. The main types of Japanese lanterns include:

1. "Tachi-gata." Translated from Japanese language their name translates as “pedestal”. Already from the name one can draw a conclusion about their purpose. Usually they are installed in those places where the owners meet their guests. They differ from other types of lanterns by their impressive height, which ranges from 1.5 to 3 m. They fit perfectly into the garden landscape over a large area.
2. "Oki-gata." Their distinctive feature are small (miniature) sizes. They look great in modest-sized gardens. Most often they are installed near flower beds and paths.
3. "Ikekomi-gata." To install these lights choose open areas garden This is due to the legend that says that the rays of light that fall on the lantern must be directed towards the ground. Such decorative elements are especially popular among those who are interested in Eastern philosophy and culture.
4. "Yukimi-gata." The feature of this type is the presence of a round or square roof, thanks to which the fire is protected from snow and rain. Often such lanterns are made with closed frosted glass to give a greater glow effect.
5. "Yamadoro-toro." This is one of the most unusual decorative solutions. Such lanterns are made of roughly processed stones and are installed in remote (shady) corners of the garden. Their peculiarity is that over time they become overgrown with greenery.
6. "Kasuga-toro." This is one of the largest and elegant types. Such lanterns are usually decorated with beautiful carvings and installed near the entrance to the garden. They look most original in pairs.

Video “DIY Japanese stone lantern”

From this video you will learn how to decorate your garden by making a beautiful Japanese stone lantern:

Manufacturing instructions

Japanese lanterns can be purchased at finished form or do it yourself. To make lanterns with your own hands, the best material is foam concrete. Such blocks are much easier to process than brick and other materials.

Lanterns are made (cut) not monolithic, but consisting of several parts: dome, roof, base, spire. The finished parts are glued together using façade putty, which practically does not differ in color from foam concrete, and therefore in finished product The joints are almost invisible (it is not advisable to use concrete).

The main tools for work are a hacksaw, files and sandpaper. If there is no experience in carrying out this type of work, then initial stage It is advisable to complete the drawings.

It takes experienced specialists from 10 to 14 days to make one flashlight.

When the product is ready, it is coated acrylic paint. The color choice is chosen so that the lantern fits perfectly into the garden design.

Japanese lanterns are not only products that play a role lighting fixtures, they also serve as decoration for any garden, local area and a summer cottage. Their main task is to create additional comfort, a calm and sincere atmosphere.

The Japanese garden is becoming increasingly popular, largely due to the fact that it is easy to make with your own hands. As a rule, it takes up little space (it is quite possible to limit yourself to an area of ​​2 by 2 m), but it is filled with elements and images of living nature, all this can be achieved using various materials. Building a Japanese garden with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, you just need to follow the instructions.

The most important elements of Japanese style are stones, water and bamboo - natural materials.

The first step is to make a project for such a garden, you need to find the most favorable location, the shape of the site and its functions and general style.

The Japanese garden is divided into two parts, one part becomes the main one and is located somewhat away from the central part of the view, thus achieving visual extension space.

The Japanese style is characterized by the presence of an arched bridge, a lamp and a fence on the site.

A central object is determined (this could be a waterfall or a large beautiful stone), this object must necessarily be turned towards the main viewing point with its front part. If a stone is chosen as the central object, then diagonally, where the large stone is located, you need to place two smaller stones, thus creating balance.

As for the main part of the garden, it needs to be filled with plants, and the other part will be empty, a certain contrast is created, which is one of the business cards Japanese garden. Creating such magnificence will require some tools;

• shovel;
• wheelbarrow;
• building level;
• roulette.

How to place stones in a Japanese garden?

When making a Japanese rock garden with your own hands, you need Special attention pay attention to how the stones are placed. Their location must be diagonal, parallel or almost parallel to the main line of the garden. To do this, it is recommended to use untreated stones, which may be covered with rust and moss, this makes general form more natural. Those that have been corroded by wind or water will work well and will often turn greenish, reddish, bluish, whitish or brownish in color.

Regarding the number of stones - it can be different, but it should always be odd, you can take 3, 5, 7 pieces and all of them need to be grouped according to the “3-2-2” or “2-3-2” ​​scheme. In most cases, the composition consists of three stones (one large stone and two smaller ones are taken for this purpose). If five or more pieces are used on top of the composition, then they should be made in the shape of a triangle, they should have a single common point(then you can lower it).

The stones are installed on the surface; they can also be partially buried in the ground at an angle to the surface of the earth. There is free space between them; it can be filled with different herbaceous plants or bushes, it all looks very beautiful.

Sidewalks and paths made of stones are an integral part of the Japanese garden; in order to make them, you need to choose stones that have one smooth side, it is this side that remains on the surface, and the part that is uneven is buried in the ground. The long axis of each of these stones is perpendicular to the path.

Return to contents

Stone lanterns and towers

When decorating, sand and fine gravel (size up to 2 mm) are often used. Colors can be very different - gray, white, black, dark brown. To prevent clogging of lawns, fine gravel and sand are placed on small areas garden, however, it should be borne in mind that such areas must be reliably protected from the wind. For this you can use brick borders or stones.

Another integral part of such a creation is lanterns made of stone; they traditionally act as the decoration and pride of a Japanese garden. In most cases, they are located on the edge of a stream or other body of water, where there is a turn in the path or bridge. In the group where there are large stones, such stone lanterns are often the main elements, you can place a tree behind them, it will look very attractive. Lanterns can be made not only from stone, but also from wood or pumice.

Stone pagoda towers are also a traditional decoration of any Japanese garden; such structures most often consist of several tiers (the number of tiers must be odd) with quadrangular plates (but there can be hexagonal and octagonal plates). If you plan to build small garden, then it is quite possible to limit ourselves to a five-tier tower. Such towers are located near bridges, ponds, water streams, in front of large trees or near decorative stones.

Return to contents

Tsukubai and the “dry stream”

When arranging a Japanese garden with your own hands, do not forget about tsukubai (this is a stone bowl filled with water, made in the form of a barrel; the height of this bowl should not exceed 30 cm, but in some cases the height can reach up to 60 cm). In Japan, it is customary to wash your hands in such a bowl before starting the tea ceremony, which is one of the elements of Japanese culture. In most cases, tsukubai are placed on a small area, which is located in the center of the garden, near a hedge or a stone wall. It will look very impressive if you install a stone lantern near such a bowl.

When planning a Japanese garden, you should decide on the style direction; the choice of flowers and shrubs also depends on this.

“”, which is a mountain stream of small stones, looks very beautiful, but it can look like a calm expanse of water. In this regard, everything depends on how to lay the stones; their sizes also matter.

Can not imagine Japanese kindergarten without a pond, and special attention should be paid to the design of its banks. You can create real masterpieces on the smooth surface of water; this is achieved thanks to the reflectivity of water. As for the water level in the pond, it must be equal to the shore, and the shape of the pond must be irregular. You can have small islands covered with trees and various kinds of vegetation; you can include a stone tower in such a composition.

A Japanese garden can be decorated with bridges that look very picturesque and stylish; they pass under dry or water streams. If you are making a garden with a natural landscape, then it is preferable to use rough stones for bridges. wooden planks, but you can also use flat stone slabs. If there are compositions made of stone in the garden, then the bridge, which is made of rough stone slab, looks very impressive.

In very ancient times, in the land where the sun rises, a monk named Oribe spent his days in a certain Buddhist monastery, and he was a famous master of chano-yu (tea ceremonies). Japan in those centuries shunned the whole world, from which it preferred to fence itself off with a blank wall, and by the decrees of the shogun (supreme ruler) everything foreign was strictly prohibited in the country. And religions alien to the traditions of this country were simply punished by painful death. Subsequently, thanks to these strictures and his secret worship of Christ, the monk Oribe etched his name in history.

Long before the birth of the monk, stone incense burners gradually began to enter Japanese temples from nearby China, which, gradually changing in shape, were reborn into stone toro lanterns. By the time of the life of monk Oribe, these works of ancient stonemasons had already finally settled in the traditions and gardens of the Japanese.

It has already been mentioned that Oribe was a master of tea ceremonies. At the place of tea drinking, there was always a tsukubai bowl made of stone (a bowl with crystal clear water, from where it was taken with a special bamboo ladle for ritual washing of the face and hands, and after that, water will be taken there for tea ceremonies), and next to it, except decorative plants and a stone lantern were installed. Master Oribe was guided by the same canons when arranging the venue for chano-yu.

Traditionally, the chano-yu master, before drawing water from the tsukubai, must kneel before it on a stone specially designed for this purpose and bow to the stone bowl. Master Oribe secretly carved a Christian crucifix on the leg of the Toro lantern, hidden by the grass from prying eyes, and thus it turned out that at the beginning of each tea ceremony, bowing towards Tsukubai, he actually bowed his knees addressing his god. Since then it has appeared the new kind lantern - Oribe-toro.

This is just one of the many colorful legends that accompany almost every Toro lantern.

So, a Japanese stone lantern. By design, they can be combined into groups:

♦ lanterns without a pedestal, which can be moved from place to place, or carried (some of them have special handles for this). Usually, these are small lanterns that are placed along the paths or carried next to the gentleman, illuminating his path. Outwardly, they resemble Chinese lanterns laid on their sides.

♦ lanterns without a pedestal, the bottom of which is buried in the ground. Like the previous group, these are small lanterns that mark paths or stone pools.

♦ the most common group is lanterns on a pedestal. Depending on the type of lantern, they are erected in some special places: a place for conversations between the owner and the guest of honor, at the entrance to the house, a place for tea ceremonies or meditations, etc. The sizes of representatives of this group vary from 30 centimeters to 3 meters.

All toros are made only by hand. In terms of purpose and appearance, the more common types are: Oki, Oribe, Kasuga, Yamadoro, and Yakimi (or sometimes voiced as Yukimi). The well-known name is combined from the name of the lantern itself, and the word ″toro″ added through a hyphen, and translated means ″stone lantern″. That is, the full name of the lantern will be: Oki-toro, Yakimi-toro, etc.

A little about the lanterns themselves:

Oki-toro. The younger brother of the Toro family, a low lantern, up to 40 cm tall. Their special feature is that they do not have a base stone. They are erected on the shore of a small or already dry pond, in a Zen garden.

Oribe-toro, or "Master Oribe's Lantern." His individuality - on the side of the support that is invisible to the eye of the eyewitness, the relief of a person is necessarily depicted. Like other stone brethren, Oribe-toro also has its own location in the garden - close to the place of chano-yu, and directly near tsukubai. The height, most often, is slightly higher than the ritual bowl.

Kasugo-toro. The most elegant and tallest of the listed lanterns are often installed in pairs, marking the entrance to a house or gazebo. It is distinguished by a round, long, column-shaped support, and a hexagonal roof with sharply turned upward corners, as well as ornate ornaments, inscriptions, and elegant drawings carved on almost all elements of the lantern. The height of Kasugo-toro is from half a meter to 3 meters.

Yamadoro-toro. No more than a meter high, asymmetrical, made of untreated, or lightly and roughly processed, free-form stone. This lantern, with its emphasized antiquity, like a puzzle element, clearly fits into the dark nooks of the garden that are not accessible to sunlight. And covered with moss and lichen, it creates the impression of a mysterious artifact of the ancients that has grown into the ground over centuries, which makes it especially attractive. It is also notable for its tetrahedral chamber, which has one large round through hole.

Yakimi-toro (or Yukimi-toro). In a country where nature is in no hurry to pamper its inhabitants with the presence of a long-standing snow cover, it is not surprising that a lantern appears, the name of which, translated roughly, sounds like “Lantern for admiring snow.” The main difference between this toro and other lanterns is its increased roof area and three or four supporting legs. This type of lantern must be installed at the very edge of the pond or on a spit so that, together with the toro, you can see its reflection in the pond.

Imagine the picture. Garden, late evening... At the edge of a reservoir that has not yet been covered with ice, like a short Mexican wearing a wide and too tall sombrero on his head, the sculpture of a Yakimi-toro froze. Under the roof of the lantern, with yellow-red warm reflections, the fire of lit candles dances a mysterious dance, echoed by its twin brothers on the surface of the water. And on the roof lay a cap of the first snow, shimmering with the cold sparkles of the reflected moon, which even in the pitch darkness had not lost its purest whiteness. Calming beauty... opening the path to memories of the past and philosophical reflections. I think the Yakimi-toro lantern deserves to be built next to a makeshift pond in your garden.

Tall and low, squat-wide and refined-slender - Toro lanterns, all so different in appearance, they are all similar in their design, because when assembling all types of Toro, elements of the same meaning and name are involved. There are six of them, and each is associated with a specific element (from bottom to top): the supporting stone (pedestal or stand) is the earth; support - water; lantern chamber stand and chamber - fire in the hearth; the roof is the wind; and the top is the firmament or top of the world.

The constructed Japanese lantern must energetically harmonize with the local climate, landscape and plants planted there; therefore, it is advisable to make the toro from the material of the given area. According to tradition, all elements of the lantern are made of stones different sizes, but with identical texture and the same color. Clay has traditionally been used to bind stones together for centuries, but today's craftsmen usually use modern mounting adhesives and mastics. The person erecting the toro must see in the composition a place and a “pose” for each selected stone, taking which it will always be directed “facing” the observer. When choosing a place for the toro, the layout of the lantern and the size of the stones, you can let your imagination go, but don’t forget that the toro is a Japanese lantern, and they erected the toro according to their traditions.

So, one warm evening, looking at your garden, you suddenly had a bright thought: the garden is beautiful... the trees are harmoniously planted, the bizarre shapes of trimmed bushes, the smooth lawn, shiny with the naturalness of the earth, but... something is wrong, there is no special feature... Some unusually shaped stone, or best of all a stone lantern! And this will be a good choice, the Thoreau lantern is just that final “brush stroke” that, perhaps, will complete the picture created in your green paradise.

And here comes next choice: make a lantern yourself, or buy a ready-made Japanese stone lantern at a nearby decorative items store. But if your hands “have no time” and your eyes are “scared”, then order delivery of the finished product on our website. And then, when choosing a lantern, if you have a photograph of its future location, we will be able to tell you which toro will more harmoniously complement your live composition.

And may the new acquisition for your blooming paradise give you peace of mind and tranquility all subsequent summers!

Japan has many of the most beautiful and varied gardens, striking in their combinations and proportions of selected components. A Japanese garden can be described as small landscaped area Japan, and each element of this small model surprises with its special appearance.

One of the main places in any garden is occupied by various garden structures. Typically made from materials such as metal, bamboo, clay, wood and stones.

Japanese gardens are decorated with such objects as: bridges, hedges, benches and stone garden lanterns (or). However, this is certainly far from full list decorative elements garden

Japanese garden lantern placed in different places the garden, in particular near bodies of water, along paths that cross the territory of the garden, next to bridges and footbridges; near traditional buildings - Tsukubai, which are stone ceremonial bowls filled with water.

The number and height of Japanese stone garden lanterns placed in the garden depends on the size of the area and the personal taste of the owner.

For this reason, they can be divided into several types:
≈ The first place is occupied by a lantern called “Tachi-Gata”, which is translated from Japanese as “pedestal”. The purpose lies in the word itself - they are used to illuminate the place where the owner of the house conducts conversations with the most honorable people.

What sets Tachi-Gata apart from other types of stone garden lanterns is its height (from 1.5 to 3 m), which is why they are installed only in gardens with a vast territory.

≈ The second type of Japanese garden lanterns is “Ikekomi-gata”. In Japan, a place is often reserved for this type of lantern near Tsukubai. However, some Japanese also install this type of lantern in other places.

In Japan, there is a legend according to which the lantern must be positioned so that the beam of light falling on it is certainly directed towards the ground. Therefore, as a rule, garden plots open to the sun are selected for the installation of “Ikekomi-gata”.

≈ Another lantern - Katsuga. It is similar to the Tachi-gata model, but has more ornate carvings. It is made from at least four separately cut elements.

≈ Another type of stone lanterns is called “Yakimi-gata” or “Yukimi-gata”, which means “appearing to be covered with snow.” The advantage of such lanterns is roofs with square or round shape. The basis is the stands, which are made of stone or concrete.

Another advantage that deserves attention in this type of lantern is the frosted glass, which gives a smooth glow to the sunlight falling on it.

Thanks to frosted glass This type of Japanese lamps got its name - it seems that the stones are covered with snow. These lights are usually placed near the edge of bodies of water.

≈ The fifth type of Japanese lanterns differs from the rest in its miniature size - and that is why it was called “Oki-gata”, which means “small lanterns”.

It will perfectly complement the landscape of a Japanese garden, in areas located near the path or on the shore of a pond. But in a small garden, this one can decorate the courtyard of the house.

As you may have guessed, the distinctive property of all the listed types of stone lanterns is their design and height, which varies from 0.5 - 3 m. But, if you complement the landscape with a stone lantern planted beautiful tree, you will only emphasize its size.

For example, for this you can take maple, which fits perfectly into the landscape, especially in autumn, when the leaves turn several shades of red and yellow. And against the background of such leaves, the grass looks even greener, and the stones look like gray guards of the garden.

These stone lanterns are especially beautiful at night, when they illuminate the surrounding view with the light of the candles located inside them. And immediately everything around transforms and takes on a mysterious look. It is in the light of such lanterns that the Japanese walk along the path to the house for tea ceremonies - Chashitsu.