Sorinto Pillar (相輪橖)
A Sorinto Pillar is a Buddhist facility. Also written out as 'sorinto' with the kanji for 'to' representing a pagoda or tower.
Sorinto Pillars are considered to be a kind of Buddhist pagoda. Sorinto Pillars are three- or five-storied pagodas with the roofs being removed, whereby they consist of a pillar and Sorin (metal pinnacle on the top of a pagoda) on the top of the pagoda with supporting columns on 4 sides.
It seems that Sorinto Pillars began to be built from long ago, but today only a few Sorinto Pillars with historical background remain, at Enryaku-ji Temple at Mt. Hiei and Rinno-ji Temple in Nikko.