Shojo no Niwa
Located north of the main hall is a small courtyard garden. Designed as a dry landscape garden, it invites visitors to purify themselves while contemplating the sound of a waterfall expressed through stonework and the representation of a white sand stream. It symbolizes the constant purification of body and mind, leading to a pure and unblemished heart.
Wabi no Niwa
In the roji garden(tea garden path) leading from the study to the hidden tea room “Kihaku-an” at the rear, the inner and outer roji are divided by the Baiken gate and the Sarudo gate. A moss-covered Tsukubai(stone wash basin) is placed as if hidden. This is a garden for composing the mind, a skillfully crafted space of quiet wabi.
Shii no Niwa
Spanning east of the main hall, this garden features stepping stones extending from the Baiken Gate, creating a rustic, roji-style ambiance.The scattered stones represent the Sixteen Arhats stones, while the central foundation stone symbolizes the Zazen Stone. Together, they depict the scene of a monk sitting in meditation, lost in contemplation, deep within a secluded mountain valley, a land of fairy tales.
Shinnyo no Niwa
In the garden south of the main hall, Satsuki azaleas, Kirishima azaleas, and Japanese andromedas are exquisitely arranged behind maple trees. Beautifully spread throughout is cedar moss, with small garden stones casually arranged in a 7-5-3 pattern to represent the full moon of the fifteenth night (enlightenment).
