Place of worship • 15-chōme-778 Honmachi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0981, Japan
Tofuku-ji is a world-renowned cultural heritage site and represents Kyoto as a whole. This temple is known for the artistic beauty of its dry landscape garden, particularly the masterpiece of modern dry landscape garden, the Hondo garden, created by Mirei Shigemori adjacent to the Hojo.
The southern garden at the center of the Hondo is impressive with the arrangement of massive rocks as if poured from heaven. The rock formation represents the legendary islands of Horai, and the surrounding white sand evokes the waves of the sea. When viewed from the front, swirling tidal currents come to mind, while from behind, gentle ripples spread out.
Each garden contains Mirei Shigemori's unique sense of play, such as the azalea pattern in the west garden, the checkered pattern in the north garden, and the seven-star shape in the east garden. This technique, heavily criticized at the time for being too avant-garde, now captivates people with its overwhelming beauty.
Despite being a famous spot in Kyoto, Tofuku-ji Temple's Hondo garden has few tourists, allowing a quiet enjoyment of the dry landscape scenery. Although crowded during the autumn foliage season, the vivid greenery of new leaves in spring is also highly recommended. The presence of free parking and ease of observation are also attractive features.
Visiting Tofuku-ji Temple will introduce you to the world of dry landscape perfected in Japanese gardens. It is recommended to immerse yourself in its elegance and artistic beauty as much as time allows. Why not also look out for a bit of humor?