Ryōtoku-ji, Buddhist temple in Ukyō Ward, Japan
Ryōtoku-ji is a Zen temple in Kyoto with a renowned garden featuring fifteen stones arranged on moss patches within a rectangular area bordered by earthen walls. The garden sits near the main building and feels like its own separate space despite its modest size.
The site began as an aristocratic villa during the Heian period and was converted into a Zen temple of the Myoshinji school in 1450. This transformation reflects how Kyoto changed during the medieval era when religious institutions gained increasing importance.
The temple displays traditional Japanese craftsmanship through painted sliding doors and how visitors move through the garden to discover Zen principles in every corner. The rooms and gardens are designed so that one experiences the spiritual order of nature directly.
The temple is reachable by JR bus from Kyoto Station, a trip of around thirty minutes with frequent daytime services. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since you must remove them to enter certain areas like the temple rooms.
From every viewpoint in the garden, at least one of the fifteen stones remains hidden from sight, meaning no visitor can see them all at once. This deliberately arranged feature invites people to shift their perspective and explore different corners to discover new views.
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