<P> After the Meiji Restoration the word tō, once used exclusively in a religious context, came to mean also "tower" in the western sense, as for example in Eiffel tower (エッフェル 塔, Efferu - tō). </P> <P> Of the Japanese pagoda's many forms, some are built in wood and are collectively known as mokutō (木 塔, lit . wood pagoda), but most are carved out of stone (sekitō (石塔, lit . stone pagoda). Wood pagodas are large buildings with either two stories (like the tahōtō (多宝塔, lit . Tahō pagoda), see photo below) or an odd number of stories . Extant wood pagodas with more than two storeys have almost always either three storeys (and are therefore called sanjū - no - tō (三重 塔, lit . three - storeyed pagoda)) or five (and are called gojū - no - tō (五重塔, lit . five - storeyed pagoda). Stone pagodas are nearly always small, usually well below 3 metres, and as a rule offer no usable space . If they have more than one story, pagodas are called tasōtō (多層 塔, lit . multi-storied pagoda) or tajūtō (多重 塔, lit . multi-storied pagoda). </P> <P> A pagoda's size is measured in ken, where a ken is the interval between two pillars of a traditional - style building . A tahōtō for example can be either 5x5 ken or 3x3 ken . The word is usually translated in English as "bay" and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement . </P> <P> The stupa was originally a simple mound containing the Buddha's ashes which in time became more elaborate, while its finial grew proportionally larger . After reaching China, the stupa met the Chinese watchtower and evolved into the pagoda, a tower with an odd number of storeys . Its use then spread to Korea and, from there, to Japan . Following its arrival in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century, the pagoda became one of the focal points of the early Japanese garan . In Japan it evolved in shape, size and function, finally losing its original role as a reliquary . It also became extremely common, while on the Asian continent it is rare . </P>

In japanese sacred architecture pagodas served as which of the following