Ryoanji Temple

A quaint but important temple in the history of Japan, the Ryoanji Temple dates back to 1450 and even though its history is uncertain, it was initially built as an aristocrat’s villa in the Heian Period which ran from 794 to 1185. The temple is surrounded by a garden of pebbles, surrounded by low walls with 15 stones laid out.

As per urban myth surrounding the garden’s design, from any vantage point atleast one of the stones is always hidden form the viewer. There are several myths about the meaning behind the garden, so it is often left to the visitor to derive whatever meaning he/she wants to derive when visiting the temple. The temple also features a park area with a pond with picturesque walking trails and restaurants that serve typical Japanese specialties like Tofu. The gate on the left of the temple is reserved exclusively for the emperor but was used only once by Queen Elizabeth during her visit in 1975.