The Tokugawa period was a time of order, strict hierarchy, and cultural development. For over 250 years, the shoguns ruled Japan from Edo (modern Tokyo), shaping society through systems that emphasized loyalty, ritual, and stability. Temples and mausoleums became important spaces where families displayed rank and devotion through carefully designed monuments.

Based on Nishimura (2023, 2026 in press):

Lanterns were formal funerary offerings, donated by feudal lords to honor the deceased shogun or family member.

Their material expressed rank and prestige:

• Stone lanterns→ female relatives, mid-level male relatives

• Bronze lanterns→ reserved almost exclusively for shoguns and elite male relatives

• Size, ornamentation, and symbolic motifs (including clan crests, Buddhist symbols, and decorative elements) reflected social hierarchy.

• Mausoleums were immaculately planned: their decoration, material, and spatial arrangement communicated power, loyalty, and status.

Nishimura (2023) shows that:

• After the fall of the Tokugawa regime and especially after WWII, many lanterns were removed, sold, or gifted abroad.

• Stone lanterns spread widely because they were easier to export and symbolically “lower rank,” whereas bronze lanterns rarely left Japan.

• Diaspora lanterns are now found in the U.S., Brazil, France, Italy, Russia, and other countries.

• The lantern in Washington, D.C. is one of these diaspora pieces, one that remains tied to its original funerary context.