What is the difference between Chinese and Japanese pagodas?

A pagoda is a tower that is tiered and has multiple eaves. They are popular in many cultures, but Chinese and Japanese lead in the pagoda field. The Japanese developed their model of pagodas from the Chinese. Despite that, there are differences between them.

The Chinese pagodas can be made from many materials like porcelain or wood, while almost all of the Japanese pagodas are made of wood. Another difference between them is the number of sides each pagoda has. Chinese pagodas have eight sides, while Japanese pagodas have four. Along with the number of sides, Chinese and Japanese pagodas may have a different amount of stories.

The Japanese pagoda is divergent in construction from the Chinese pagoda because it is an incorporation of both its local and foreign pagoda, in contrast to that of China, which is exclusively domestic. In China, the pagoda is a tiered formation because of the existing architectural style. Japanese pagodas were designed to be similar to the Chinese ones.

In Japan, almost all the pagodas are constructed out of wood, which makes them eligible to endure earthquakes. However, they are extremely susceptible to fire. There are stone pagodas in Japan, but they are small replicas of these famous buildings, and they can usually be seen in Japanese gardens. They also boast much larger roof overhangs in comparison to the Chinese pagodas. The wood pieces are cut so that each one fits perfectly into slots in an adjoining section.