塔
tower; pagoda; monument
Kanji 1651
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
This gorgeous photo essay explains the origins of the pagoda; presents historic pagodas in Japan; tells you how to talk about pagodas with 2, 3, or 5 tiers; and explains the "cosmology" of stone pagodas. From the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the literal and figurative Tower of Babel, you'll find out about towers, also discovering what it means to call someone a control tower.
Revision History:
Mar. 29, 2024: pp. 24-25: Changed the novelist's name from Yamazaki to Yamasaki. Also added a link to her Wikipedia page.
June 12, 2020:
- p. 6: Changed the definition of 堂塔 to "halls and pagodas at temples."
- p. 11: I had implied that 鋳抜門 was the name of a particular gate, but it’s actually a term meaning "style of gate with a lot of copper ornamentation." I have now clarified that.
Jan. 23, 2020: p. 25: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Aug. 9, 2019:
- p. 2: Updated the Sears link and the Henshall etymology.
- p. 7: Added a note saying that the 造 in 石造 has been stylized.
- p. 11: Reversed the sequence of the photos for clarity. Also redid quite a bit of the photo caption to improve the translation and vocabulary for the sentence on the sign.
- pp. 15 and 23: Deleted broken links.
- p. 21: Redefined 自警 as “vigilante” and 消防 as “firefighting.”
Apr. 5, 2013: Originally published.
Comments