Kyoto Gardens. Judith Clancy

have a pleasingly modern flavor. Even though confined by walls, they seem more expansive than older, more traditional gardens. But they still appear unbridled by the mundane—just as Zen gardens ought to be.

      Elegant guests, elegant garden.

      Waves, chevrons, circles—all part of the Zen gardener’s template.

      The soothing sound of water flowing into the basin.

      A single rock—a gardener’s gift to the tree?

      Horizontal lines, wave-patterned tiles, and a profusion of cherry blossoms.

      A moment too beautiful to pass unrecorded.

      NANZEN-JI TEMPLE GARDEN

      Resting in the shade of the Eastern Mountains, Nanzen-ji provides a pleasing contrast to the austere gardens typical of Rinzai-sect Zen temples. Four of the twelve subtemples are open to the public, as are some lovely stroll gardens.

      Once the villa of Emperor Kameyama (1249–1305), the grounds were converted into a temple after his abdication in 1274. The garden around the main quarters of the hojo (abbot’s quarters) retains the spaciousness appropriate to an imperial residence.

      Sadly, most of the original temples were destroyed during the tumultuous wars of the 15th century. Their renewal in 1611 by the Tokugawa warlord occurred when karesansui (dry rock and sand gardens) were reshaping the land within Zen temples. An expanse of raked gravel or sand around a cluster of rocks or clipped shrubbery reflected the Zen emphasis on austerity, emptiness, and self-control. The intentionally calming, even somber, mood allows visitors to sit in appreciation and provides an opportunity to tame a restless mind.

      The subtemple Nanzen-in has been revived with both a contemplative garden on its eastern side and a stroll garden on the south. On the east, a neat sequence of diamond-shaped stones set in a trail of moss is as strikingly simple as it is pleasing. The soft, earthen path through the south garden crosses a pond and leads to an Edo period-style stroll garden. Older trees form a canopy that filters mottled light onto a groundcover of moss.

      Shingled with cedar bark, Tenju-an’s roof rises above the wooded Eastern Mountains.

      The new side garden flanks the approach to Nanzen-in.

      The open gravel-raked courtyard of the abbot’s quarters.

      Gardens blend into the foothills of the Eastern Mountains.

      Even in a city filled with famous gardens, the subtemple of Konchi-in is renowned. Kobori Enshu (1579–1647), a brilliant arbiter of taste and garden design, is credited with planning and designing this gem, as well as many of Kyoto’s most famous gardens.

      When the early Zen gardens were taking shape, it was common for the head abbot to collaborate with painters and gardeners. Enshu and the head priest, who was appointed by the Tokugawa government, were members of the same class and worked together to create a dynamic landscape statement.