The garden situated in front of the Hojo is the renowned Hojo Garden of Daisen-in.
The outstanding feature of this garden is the way it depicts great natural features within a limited space as a series of stories.
See if you can find creatures and ships appearing in this story.
This garden was created by Kogaku Soko, the founding priest of this temple, in 1509.
In the northeast corner of the temple grounds stands a stately-looking large stone.
This stone is intended to resemble Mt. Horai, a legendary Chinese mountain where a hermit with spiritual powers is believed to live.
A waterfall flowing from Mt. Horai is divided into west and east, with each forming a river flowing into the ocean.
On the white sand representing the river, a ship represented by a stone sails ahead at a leisurely pace, its bow rising high into the air.
Behind the river, a stone arrangement represents a row of mountains.
Looking at this garden through the window in the building, the window frame serves as a picture frame for the scene, allowing you to enjoy it as if it were a superb painting.
This is a place where you can imagine the kind of majestic nature that forms a backdrop to a legendary story, as you appreciate the beauty of this landscape filled with symbols of Buddhist beliefs, recreated here with rocks and sand.
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