Borrowed scenery (借景 'shakkei') gardens make use of background features and external landscapes as creative elements.
Many shakkei gardens in Kyōto have been lost over time due to urban development, or even re-landscaping (as may be the case with Ryōan-ji's famous zen garden!).
Although there is no clear evidence, many believe the temple's garden was created by famed artist Kobori Enshū (小堀遠州 1579-1647).
In 1935 Shigemori Mirei (重森三玲) discovered the original garden had been hidden by an ugly arrangement of rocks added in the Meiji period.
Using a 7-5-3 pattern of trimmed azalea (ツツジ) bushes in the place of rocks, Mirei revived the garden. It is extremely unusual to see a Zen garden without any rocks at all.
Borrowed scenery (借景 'shakkei') gardens make use of background features and external landscapes as creative elements.
Many shakkei gardens in Kyōto have been lost over time due to urban development, or even re-landscaping (as may be the case with Ryōan-ji's famous Zen garden!).
🌿PERSIMMON PALACE🌄
Entsū-ji (円通寺) was once surrounded by such an abundance of persimmon trees and azalea bushes that in past times it was nicknamed 'Kaki-no-dera' (柿の寺) and 'Tsutsuji-no-dera' (ツツジの寺).
The temple is now better known for its 'borrowed scenery' garden.
#Kyoto #京都 #Japan #persimmon #円通寺 #Entsuji #azalea #shakkei #borrowedscenery
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