Ryoanji Temple is Japan's most famous rock garden. So famous, in fact, that the name has become synonymous with Japanese rock gardens worldwide. With its traditional architecture and gardens, Ryoanji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a must-visit for any visitor to Kyoto
The area was initially an aristocrat's villa during the Heian Period, and was then transformed into a Zen temple in 1450.
The meaning of the garden is unclear to the Japanese people, some believing it represents a tiger carrying cubs across a pond, while others believe it represents a more abstract idea, such as infinity. Visitor are urged to find their own meaning in it.
The origins and creator of the rock garden are a mystery, but the temple itself was originally built as a villa for the lord of the aristocratic Tokudaiji family. It was then passed on to Hosokawa Katsumoto, a deputy of the Shogun, in 1450, who invited the priest Giten Genso to transform it into a Zen temple.
This internationally famous rock garden was said to be created at the end of Muromachi Period (around 1500), by a highly respected Zen monk, Tokuho Zenketsu.
Featuring a deceptively simple layout of fifteen stones of various sizes set atop white sand in a space of about 250 square meters, the meaning of the garden has been a riddle since its conception.
One theory is that it expresses islets in an ocean, or mountains in a sea of clouds. Others think it represents a tigress and her cubs crossing a river. Like an intuitive Zen puzzle, it is up to the viewer's own interpretation and imagination.
Getting There: The temple can be accessed by train or bus.
Ryoanji is a 10-minute walk north from Ryoan-ji Station on the Keifuku Kitano Line. Alternatively, take the #59 bus from Sanjo Keihan Station to the Ryoan-ji-mae bus stop, right in front of the temple. There are one- and two-day passes available that offer unlimited bus and subway rides within the city.
Admission Fee: is 500 Yen per person.
Opening Hours: 8 am to 5 pm.
Importance Rating: 8 - this is one of Kyoto's top sights.
Busyness Rating: 9 - it gets very busy. The garden attracts hundreds of visitors every single day.
Top Tips: If you want to enjoy a quiet moment of meditation in the garden, arrive when it opens in the morning, since large numbers of tourists flock here during the day.
After your contemplation, enjoy a stroll through the large traditional gardens or even stop by Seigenin on the temple grounds, to savor a purifying meal of Kyoto-style tofu.
