Yasukuni Jinja

Guide to Inner GardenGiant Lantern

Towering to a height of thirteen meters, this is the largest granite lantern in Japan.
The relief on the base depicts seven scenes of major battles from the Sino-Japanese War to the Manchurian Incident, with land battles on the left and naval battles on the right when facing the shrine buildings.
It was produced by four sculptors under the supervision of Masaki Naohiko, head of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy.
Donated in 1935 by Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Company, the lantern was in danger of being removed immediately after the war, but survived thanks to work that covered the relief.