What sumikazari means
Sumikazari are the ear-shaped horns rising from the four corners of the roof of a Hōkyōintō. They spring from the top of the stepped roof toward each corner and define the outline of the monument, making them the easiest feature for telling a hōkyōintō from other stone monuments.
Their form changes over time. Kamakura-period horns are said to stand relatively upright, flaring outward more widely in later periods, and their angle, height and carved ornament are used as clues for dating a monument.
Reading the records and the monument
Records describe the angle and ornament of the horns. A stone hōkyōintō designated by Kakogawa, Hyogo, has a standard roof of two steps below and six above with horns leaning slightly outward. One of the stone hōkyōintō designated by Mizumaki, Fukuoka, has horns carved with bracken-scroll ornament. The Kōchi hōkyōintō in Shimoda, Shizuoka, is valued for the Kamakura-period design seen in the horns of its roof.
On site, look at the angle of the horns at the four corners and whether they carry a carved frame or ornament. Horns break easily and are missing on many monuments, so reconstruct the original form from those that survive.
References
- 石造宝篋印塔（加古川市指定）｜文化遺産オンライン
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/229238
- 石造宝篋印塔（水巻町指定）｜文化遺産オンライン
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/580316
- 河内の宝篋印塔｜しずおか文化財ナビ
- https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankosports/bunkageijutsu/bunkazai/1002825/1041003/1041886/1004958/1020762.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26