Last updated on 15 June 09
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Ryoan-ji Zen Garden

4.5/5 (2 ratings)

Gardenvisit Editorial

Ryoan-ji is the most famous and most austere Zen Buddhist garden. A rectangular space is bounded on two sides by a verandah and on the other two sides by walls. Within, the space is covered by raked quartz. Raking produces a pattern around 15 rocks in 5 groups in a significant mathematical relationship They are of 5, 2, 3, 2 and 3 rocks, which link the observer to an abstract conception of nature.

Address - Goryonoshitacho, Ryoanji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Website - Visit the Ryoan-ji Zen Garden website

Local Hotels

Hotels within 30km as the crow flies from this garden.

Kyoto City Hotel (2km away)
From 8400.00 JPY to 31500.00 JPY
Kyoto Guest House Hannari (2km away)
From 2500.00 JPY to 2500.00 JPY
Guest House Renjishi (2km away)
From 1500.00 JPY to 7350.00 JPY
Kyoto Guesthouse Roujiya (3km away)
From 3000.00 JPY to 8000.00 JPY
Kyoto Horikawa Inn (3km away)
From 7500.00 JPY to 13000.00 JPY
Kyoto Kokusai Hotel (3km away)
From 6500.00 JPY to 35000.00 JPY
The Palace Side Hotel (3km away)
From 5800.00 JPY to 9800.00 JPY
Kyoto Brighton Hotel (3km away)
From 18480.00 JPY to 46200.00 JPY

Nearby Gardens

Gardens within 30km as the crow flies from this garden.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple Garden) (0km away)
Osawa-ike - Osawa Pond (2km away)
Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace Garden (3km away)
(3.0/5)
Sento Gosho Palace Garden (3km away)
Tenryu-ji (Abbot's Garden) (3km away)
Mirei Shigemori Garden (4km away)
Katsura Imperial Palace Garden (5km away)

Luxury Garden Hotels

Nearby Recommended Garden Hotels

Hyatt Regency Kyoto

Recent Reviews

over 2 years ago Ian said
Ryoan-ji is a the quintessential dry landscape garden. It is currently undergoing renovation; with the main hall deck being refurbished. The sand garden is open to view, but the overall balance is disturbed by the new scaffolding. This scaffolding, though, allows a closer view of the stones that make up the garden, so I would still recommend visiting. The surrounding gardens are also excellent, and the restaurant inside the grounds is to be recommended.

Another garden of similar style is Nanzen-ji, in higashiyama, it is accessible from the Tozi-line subway (Keage Stn)It is good to see both as a constrast in dry landscape gardens.

(4.0/5)
about 4 years ago jing said
Ryoanji is very peaceful and quite small. I liked the sand garden and I liked the parkland-garden around the sand garden. It has a lake and flowers and lots to see and photograph.

(5.0/5)

See all the reviews of Ryoan-ji Zen Garden

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