Hosen-in Garden - Hosen-in was founded about 800 years ago as priest quarters for nearby Sanzen-in temple. The zen garden surrounding the main hall is
Hosen-in Garden - Hosen-in was founded about 800 years ago as priest quarters for nearby Sanzen-in temple. The zen garden surrounding the main hall is about 300 years old, but the large pine tree on the south side is much older: 700 years! On the west of the hall, behind the little shoji window is a tsukubai water basin with a small wooden terrace leading to it. Two planks in the terrace are removable and the temple places artistic works, such as the leaves and carvings. Next time you come, the planks will likely be different. Another unique feature for this temple: Note also the pair of bamboo tubes going trough the terrace: you can listen to the sound of water dripping below the basin if you put your ear to it. Like a few other temples in Kyoto the ceiling of the main hall contains special planks that used to be floor boards for the Fushimi castle that bear traces of blood from 370 samurai's who committed ritual suicide when they lost the battle for their caste. Hosen-in has another zen garden with a very different style, just south of the old tree. Called the garden of the crane and turtle “Tsurukame Teien” - both symbols of long life. It features various stones and patterns in a very unusual way. The three main features of the place are the stone bridge, a racked gravel area and nice tsukubai water basin with neatly arranged stones around it.
Size: 6240px × 4160px
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Photo credit: © John Lander / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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