Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kamakura Area > Zuisen-ji (Flower Temple) Zuisen-ji (Flower Temple)(瑞泉寺 (花寺)) Zuisen-ji is a small temple hidden away in the eastern mountains of Kamakura. The temple’s nickname is ‘flower temple’ and its flower garden in the front of the temple is the most beautiful...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Zuihō-in (Daitoku-ji) Zuihō-in (Daitoku-ji)(瑞峯院) Zuihō-in is an extraordinary temple in Kyoto: It was founded by daimyo Otomo, who was one of the early Christians in Japan. He founded the temple as his family temple; he and his wife are...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Tōfuku-ji – Garden of the Hōjō Tōfuku-ji – Garden of the Hōjō(東福寺) Tōfuku-ji is one of the Five Great Zen temples in the Kyoto Mountain system. It is a temple complex in southern Kyoto with 24 sub-temples. Its garden...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Tenryū-ji Tenryū-ji(天龍寺) The temple was founded by shogun Ashikaga Takauji in 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha, and its first head priest was Musō Soseki. Construction was completed in 1345. As a temple related to both the Ashikaga family...Continue Reading
By Mira LocherForeword by Terunobu Fujimori In comparison with Zen Gardens, the complete works of Shunmyo Masuno. Is it worth to buy both books or do I favor one over the other? You can read my detailed review about Zen Gardens, the complete works of Shunmyo Masuno here....Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Shisen-dō Shisen-dō(詩仙堂) Shisen-dō is is a temple of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. It was built in the early Edo period (1641) as a retirement villa for Ishikawa Jōzan. Ishikawa Jōzan was a poet and calligrapher. Feel free...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Saihō-ji (Koke-dera) Saihō-ji (Koke-dera)(西芳寺 (苔寺)) The garden of Saihō-ji is acclaimed by many as Kyoto’s most beautiful garden and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage. It is especially famous for its moss garden, for which reason it is...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Ryōgen-in (Daitoku-ji) Ryōgen-in (Daitoku-ji)(大徳寺龍源院) Ryōgen-in is one of Daitoku-ji’s twenty-two sub-temples. It is a rather small temple, but has several superlatives to offer: → One of its gardens (Tōkekiko) is Japan’s smallest garden (supposedly). → Another of its gardens...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Ryōan-ji Ryōan-ji(龍安寺) Ryōan-ji is maybe the most famous rock garden of Japan. Ryoan-ji was built on the grounds of a villa of the Fujiwara clan in the Heian period (794-1185). The deputy of the shogun and warlord Hosokawa Katsumoto...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Ōbai-in (Daitoku-ji) Ōbai-in (Daitoku-ji)(黄梅院) Ōbai-in is one of the secret sub-temples of Daitoku-ji and has one of Japan’s best-designed Japanese gardens. It is only open for a few weeks in November, which is also the best time for visiting....Continue Reading