The abbot's quarters of Daisen'in temple were built in 1513. The temple's gardens were also built under the supervision of chief priest Kogaku Sōkō at about that time. Among these is a dry landscape garden known as the "garden of the shoin," located to the northeast of the abbot's quarters. Pruned trees and large upright stones are used to represent distant mountains and cliffs, with upright stones beyond them representing a waterfall. The stages in which the water from the fall becomes a stream, then a large river and finally the ocean are symbolized with white sand and stones. This technique of concrete representation of a natural landscape can be evaluated as a landscape painting in three-dimensional form. It is designated a national historic site and special scenic spot, and is located in Kita ward, Kyoto.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
