Designed by Sakugen Shuryo, a Zen master, poet and diplomat in the 1500’s, the Lion’s Roar gardens of the Zen Buddhist Hogon-in temple is breathtaking. Using the principle of “borrowed scenery”, this garden folds itself into the surrounding forest using Mt. Arashiyama as a backdrop.
if ever there was a place to let zen into one’s psyche if only for a short time, this garden is it.
Hogon-in is only open to the public during the spring and fall and the public, those crowds of tourists visiting the famous Rinzai Zen head temple Tenryu-ji maybe 100 meters away could be neither seen nor heard in this remarkable garden.
in the middle of the garden, a small tea house offered matcha and a traditional Japanese sweet, bean paste covered by a hardened sugar icing.
As described by Grubb, the walkway leading to the entrance of the temple is lined with Arashiyama Rakans, whimsical Buddha statues.
Lovely!
Grubb has a thing for the Japanese rhododendrons. Ask him about it.
Sounds wonderful.
Absolutely. And I loved the fringed iris.
Japanese gardens are so pretty and restful. I’ve only been to ones in the US, I imagine the ones in Japan are even better. Kind of like how the Irish pubs you see all over Spain (this is true) are not the same as when you and your mates are playing darts in Dublin.
This particular garden was surreally gorgeous. Natural forest or designed garden? No difference here.