Buddhist priests who specialized in making gardens as an occupation, from the late Heian to the Kamakura periods. They were called ishidatesō (meaning "a priest who stands stones") because garden building was referred to with the term for standing stones at the time. Many were priests of the Ninnaji temple (Shingon) sect.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
