The rock garden
Gravel raked daily.
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A Zen temple in northwest Kyoto whose name means «Temple of the Dragon at Peace», founded by the warlord Hosokawa Katsumoto in 1450. It is one of the «Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto» on UNESCO's list. It is famous for its dry kare-sansui garden, thought to date from the late 15th century and counted among the finest Zen gardens. It is a rectangle of 248 square metres (25 by 10 metres) with fifteen stones in five groups, set in white gravel that the monks rake daily in parallel lines, with no plants but moss around the stones. The stones are placed so that no one seated on the veranda can see all fifteen from any angle; at least one always stays hidden. The garden is meant to be contemplated from the veranda of the abbot's quarters. A large pond and a lush garden surround the temple as well. Admission is about 600 yen; it opens 8:00-17:00 from March to November and 8:30-16:30 in winter, per visitor guides. Shoes come off before you sit on the veranda, and early morning is calmest for contemplation.
Gravel raked daily.
Never all fifteen at once.
Around the temple.
Northwest Kyoto, near Kinkaku-ji
Its fifteen stones sit in five groups placed so that no one seated on the veranda can see all fifteen from any angle; at least one always stays hidden.
