English index
Japanese index
Japanese index

Hōrai
蓬莱

Hōrai; Hōrai island; Mt. Hōrai


Penglai in Chinese. One of the three sacred islands in the cult of immortality in ancient Chinese philosophy, together with Hōjō and Eishū islands. It is an imaginary island in the East China Sea, where immortals dwell. This island is sometimes depicted in ponds of Japanese gardens.


Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.