An unusual aspect of Japanese is the vast number of kanji which can indicate a particular traditional cultural aspect, likely as their origins are unclear and ancient writers sought to ascribe their own interpretations, which kanji, being pictographs, allows.
This morning, it occurred to me to ask a monk about the distinctive bell-shaped windows found on many temples. She said that they are called “katou mado” but couldn’t elucidate any meaning beyond that. Wikipedia is your friend, so I checked it out. These are all pronounced the same. Ready?
火灯窓 (lantern window) 花頭窓 (flower bud window) 華頭窓 (also flower bud window, but with differnt kanji for flower) 架灯窓 (architectural window) 瓦灯窓 (tile window, though they’re made of wood)
Apparently, they were adopted from Chinese temples in the 15th century, and their meaning has been lost in time. Do they represent a lantern or a lotus? Memorize the kanji to impress your friends; good photo at the link. - William https://nyanta2030.exblog.jp/iv/detail/?s=20514824&i=201305%2F29%2F09%2Fb0128609_1051940.jpgか
