![]() ![]() The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.Japanese Zen gardens, also known as Karesansui, Japanese rock gardens, or dry landscape gardens, are a beautiful and unique form of traditional Japanese gardening that has captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide. ![]() There are many other locations with karesansui aside from the ones introduced here, so be sure to try visiting one if you can! If you use this article as a guide to deepen your understanding, you should be able to more fully enjoy karesansui gardens. ![]() The arrangement of stones forms a cross, so it is also known as the "garden of the cross."Įntrance fee: regular 400 yen, elementary/middle school students 300 yen In contrast, the north garden\'s linear gravel waves express stillness and silence. Penglai, the legendary island paradise in Chinese mythology (known as Horaisan in Japanese), towering over the peninsula and waves incessantly crashing onto the shore. In the south garden you will notice the dynamic white sand representing stormy seas. The south garden, Dokuza-tei, represents Zen, while the north garden, Kanmin-tei, is associated with Sorin, who converted to Christianity in the later years of his life. At Zuiho-in there are two karesansui gardens, both of which were designed in 1961 by Shigemori Mirei to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of the sect\'s founder Tesshu Sokyu. Zuiho-in Temple, the small temple within the grounds of the main Daitokuji Temple was founded in 1535 by the daimyo (feudal lord) Otomo Sorin. You can try to interpret the meaning of this for yourself when you visit this garden.Įntrance fee: adult/high school student 500 yen, elementary/middle school student 300 yen No matter which corner of the garden you stand in, one stone will always be hidden from view. It is a very enigmatic garden, as its creator as well as the garden plan and meaning behind the placement of the rocks are all a mystery. 15 rocks of varying size are spread out on the surface of the white sand. It is a rectangular space about 25m wide by 10m long which emanates tranquility. This is a rock garden that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and was even visited by the Queen of England. Ryoanji Temple\'s Hojo Garden comes to mind when talking about world famous karesansui gardens. to represent a replica of the natural landscape. When there are stone arrangements depicting waterfalls, vertically striped stones are placed representing the flowing and falling of water, and the swirling water at the bottom of the waterfall is represented by laying out round stones with the corners smoothed. Rocks shaped like boats are also distributed in the sand, and represent boats headed toward the mountain valleys. Depending on how the pattern is applied, stormy seas or gentle ripples on rivers or seas are represented.Īnother essential element of the garden\'s composition is the arrangement of stones in the garden, which imitate the likeness of isolated deep mountain valleys where hermits and Buddha live. If you know beforehand about the mitate (selection)* pattern, you can appreciate the garden more deeply.įor example, the wave patterns drawn in the sand with a bamboo rake represent water flowing. Karesansui are expressions of abstractness and strong spirituality, and each person will interpret them differently.
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