Sōrin

alternate rings) is the vertical shaft (finial) which tops a Japanese pagoda, whether made of stone or wood.

Although it is often believed that the pillar at the core of a Japanese pagoda is a device to strengthen it against earthquakes, its sole purpose is to support the long and heavy bronze sōrin.

[5] In many cases the central shaft doesn't reach the ground, but has its base somewhere above it within the pagoda, where it is supported by beam or other means.

This structure was adopted not as a measure against earthquakes but because, with aging, the wood of the pagoda, whose grain is mostly horizontal, tends to shrink more than that of the vertical shaft, causing the opening of a gap between the two at the roof.

[12] Its components are, from the top down:[13] The sōrin sits on the kasa (笠, umbrella) or yane (屋根, roof), a stepped pyramid with four wings at the corners called mimikazari (耳飾) or sumikazari (隅飾).