Japanese Pagoda Tidal Basin

You can easily miss this little monument if you are not paying close attention. It does get the most attention and photo opportunities during the National Cherry Blossom Festival where over a million people are drawn to the Tidal Basin each year. I got a couple of them taken myself when I went to the festival with my roommate’s fiancée.
It is a neat little monument, but not as old as you might imagine. It was given by a mayor from Japan in 1958 and has remained settled there ever since. This is the location where they kick off the official opening ceremony of the Cherry Blossom Festival every year as well.

This little statue sits just outside the FDR memorial, and is easily missed if you aren’t paying attention!

This monument is probably considered «Off the beaten path» as a DC monument. Chances are, if your walking between the FDR and the TJ memorial, you’ll pass it by without even noticing it. It’s just a blink of an eye — lawn ornament. Upon further viewing, the storyboard provides you with more knowledge and detail about this stone structure than you’d ever imagine.
I was able to relate it to a game my son has — Skylanders. In their main meeting area, a giant column rises out of the ground, with similar «Earth, Fire, etc.» meanings to the layers of the pagoda to the column.