According to the National Park Service, the government of Japan presented the lantern to the United States on March 30, 1954, to symbolize the enduring cultural partnership between the two countries.
Carved in 1651, the granite lantern, which stands eight and a half feet tall and weighs two tons (4,000 pounds), stood for over 300 years on the grounds of the Toeizan Kan’eiji Temple in Japan before coming to the United States. The lantern is lit one time each year by the Embassy of Japan’s appointed Cherry Blossom Princess.
