OkayamaTravel

Kobori Enshu's Dry Landscape Garden, with Borrowed Scenery of Mount Aitak That Looks Like a Painting

About this spot

A Zen temple said to be one of the Ankoku temples that Ashikaga Takauji established throughout the provinces. It is known for the garden designed by Kobori Enshu (小堀遠州) during his tenure in Bitchu. The dry landscape garden with white sand features a crane island and turtle island, and the large Satsuki pruning representing waves of the sea—the 'blue waves' pattern—is a must-see. The grand composition, which incorporates the distant Mount Aitak (愛宕山) as borrowed scenery, conveys the beauty of the Enshu school of garden design to the present day. Sit on the veranda of the study hall and slowly gaze at the curves drawn by the sand patterns and pruned hedges, and the fatigue from climbing the castle should melt away. It is the perfect place to calm your mind at the beginning of a castle town stroll, a temple of refined beauty.

Tips

There is a parking space for visitors at the foot of the temple gate, and it is only a few minutes' walk to Ishihi-ya Town's samurai residence street. Since the viewing style involves going up to the study hall and sitting to observe the garden, shoes that are easy to remove and put on are recommended for comfort. You can enjoy the quietest experience when you avoid times when tour groups are present.

Best time to visit

Approximately 40 minutes required. In the morning, light falls on the garden, making the sand patterns on the white sand stand out, and the borrowed scenery of Mount Aitak (愛宕山) is also clearly visible.