Nanzen-in Garden

Posted by Stu (Scotland | Residing in Kyoto, Japan) on 19 April 2007 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.

The Emperor Kameyama, who became a priest at a detached palace here in 1289, became the Grand Emperor. He contributed the detached palace, which became a Zen temple. Daimin-kokushi was the first chief priest of it. This place is the ruins of that detached palace and also the cradle of Nanzen-ji Temple, much featured on my blog. This is the typical garden made at the end of the Kamakura Era, where you can walk around the ponds and springs surrounded by lush forests. The man who made this garden is said to be the Grand Emperor Kameyama. This garden is specified as one of the three scenic and historic spots in Kyoto City. There are two ponds here: the upper pond is called "Sogen-ike Pond", which has "Horai-sima Island" in the center of it. The lower pond has an island shaped just like a Japanese letter （心） meaning heart. At the outskirts of the garden, you will find the "Byoh" (a mausoleum), where the remains of the Grand Emperor Kameyama are buried according to his dying wishes.

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