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  • The SM Mall of Asia, also known as MOA, is a shopping mall owned by the SM Group, the largest mall developer in the Philippines. Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest shopping mall in the Philippines and occupies more than 410,000 square meters. The mall is located on Manila Bay and attracts daily foot traffic of 200,000 people and even more  on weekends.
    mall-of-asia-10.jpg
  • The SM Mall of Asia, also known as MOA, is a shopping mall owned by the SM Group, the largest mall developer in the Philippines. Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest shopping mall in the Philippines and occupies more than 410,000 square meters. The mall is located on Manila Bay and attracts daily foot traffic of 200,000 people and even more  on weekends.
    mall-of-asia-8.jpg
  • The SM Mall of Asia, also known as MOA, is a shopping mall owned by the SM Group, the largest mall developer in the Philippines. Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest shopping mall in the Philippines and occupies more than 410,000 square meters. The mall is located on Manila Bay and attracts daily foot traffic of 200,000 people and even more  on weekends.
    mall-of-asia-4.jpg
  • The Mall of Asia, also known as MOA, is  the second largest shopping mall in the Philippines and occupies more than 410,000 square meters. The mall is located on Manila Bay and attracts daily foot traffic of 200,000 people.  Besides a huge array of shops, there is also entertainment such as mimes and even a Mall of Asia marching band that troupes through every hour or so...
    mall-of-asia-1.jpg
  • East Asia Headquarters, Macau - The colonial architecture of Macau is predominantly western with the Portuguese playing the most significant part. Spanish and Italian architectural forms also contributed  with regards to religious architecture.  The mixed architectural sensibility dotting the architecture of Macau are first and foremost the contribution of the Portuguese.
    portuguese-architecture-macau-2.jpg
  • Carp are seen in Japan (as well as in the rest of Asia) as a symbol of fortune.  These ponds used as an element of a landscape pond garden. Classic koi ponds have nishikigoi Japanese ornamental carps.  It is said that the design of a koi pond has a great effect on the well-being of the carp.
    carp-pond-09.jpg
  • Carp are seen in Japan (as well as in the rest of Asia) as a symbol of fortune.  These ponds used as an element of a landscape pond garden. Classic koi ponds have nishikigoi Japanese ornamental carps.  It is said that the design of a koi pond has a great effect on the well-being of the carp.
    carp-pond-11.jpg
  • Carp are seen in Japan (as well as in the rest of Asia) as a symbol of fortune.  These ponds used as an element of a landscape pond garden. Classic koi ponds have nishikigoi Japanese ornamental carps.  It is said that the design of a koi pond has a great effect on the well-being of the carp.
    carp-pond-10.jpg
  • The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in chanting and writing wishes before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of the moss garden.
    AMBER-2022-17.jpg
  • The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in chanting and writing wishes before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of the moss garden.
    AMBER-LOTUS-2023-82.jpg
  • The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in chanting and writing wishes before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of the moss garden.
    AMBER-2021-EXTRA-101.jpg
  • Shomyoji was built by Sanetoki Hojo during the Kamakura period, and was made the Hojo family temple of the Kanazawa area. The Jodo style garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature when considering the arched bridge. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print "Shomyo-no-Bansho," one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa.
    AMBER-LOTUS-2023-218.jpg
  • The main garden at Bishamon-do is called Bansuien or sometimes Yushuien. The Benten Pond behind the main hall uses a natural water spring drawn from Mt Anshoji to create a waterfall in back and a pond in front. In the pond are two islands, and the pond is surrounded by maple trees, crepe myrtle and azaleas. A stone pagoda stands on one of the islands as an accent to the rest of the composition. 
    Bishamon-do-6.jpg
  • Anao-ji Temple Garden is a pond viewing garden where azaleas, crepe myrtles and pine trees haven planted along the rim of the pond. There is a curiously shaped stone in the middle of the pond that some believe represents a ship, though its interpretation is not given. Additionally, there is a smaller dry garden on the western side of the main hall that incorporates Mt. Oshino in the backdrop.
    anao-ji-3.jpg
  • The official name is "Manmatsuyama Ryotanji Zen Temple has a long history, and it is said that Gyoki opened its predecessor, Jizo-ji, in 733 of the Nara period . The name Ryotanji is named after Naomori Ii .  the dry garden in front of the main hall Mt. Potalaka Garden is a relatively new garden created in the Heisei era. The front garden, because of its white sand shape it is popularly known locally as the Lake Hamana Garden.  The main pond-viewing garden on the north side of the main hall is a nationally designated scenic garden created by Kobori Enshu. According to the temple, it was built around 1630. The long horizontal pond is a Shin-ji pond, and the waterfall stone group is represented by a stone group that uses many azaleas, azaleas, and local chert stones in the artificial hill. 
    ryotan-ji-12.jpg
  • Jissoji is an ancient temple built in 1387 during the Nanbokucho period by the first disciple of the Mubun Zen master, Etsuo Zen Master, who opened the temple. The dry garden is a scenic spot designated by Shizuoka Prefecture. Jitsusoji Garden was discovered and rebuilt in 1994 by the Nakane Garden Research & Landscape, a gardening company in Iwata City. It is estimated that the garden was built around 1700 when the adjacent main hall and Kannon hall were maintained. Not only is it beautiful as a stone set and a dry garden, but the combination of these three artificial hills and the scenery of Mt. Mitake is very special.
    jisso-ji-02.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-06.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-04.jpg
  • 78.5 Engakuji 円覚寺 is the main temple of the Engakuji sect of the Rinzai Buddhist sect. Engakuji is one of the leading Zen temples in eastern Japan and ranks second among Kamakura's five great Zen temples. Its unique garden was restored in 1969 according to an old drawing. Zen Buddhism regarded gardens as microcosms of the natural landscape and this is a fine example.
    78.5.TENTATIVE-KAMAKURA-ENGAKUJI-02.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-06.jpg
  • Ritsurin Trail within this magnificent landscape garden in Takamatsu.  It is  thought to be one of the finest gardens in Japan.  The garden boasts many features such as trails, teahouses, ponds, hills and pavilions set by Mt. Shiun providing a kind of borrowed scenery.
    ritsurin-garden-09.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-10.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-12.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu built by the local feudal lord during the Edo Period and considered one of the most esquisite gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features ponds, hills and pavilions set in the woods which acts as background and a textbook example of borrowed scenery.
    ritsurin-garden-16.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-18.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-01.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan.  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-07.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-13.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-15.jpg
  • Ritsurin Pond Garden - a landscape garden in Takamatsu was built by  feudal lords during the Edo Period.  Ritsurin is considered to be one of the finest gardens in Japan, and features many pavilions, ponds, bridges and hills set beside wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and serves as an example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-17.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-21.jpg
  • 23. Daigo-ji 醍醐寺 Within its grounds, Daigo-ji houses eighteen of Japan’s National Treasures. Among them are buildings belonging to Sanbo-in famous for the quality of its Japanese garden.  The garden was laid out with a large pond, paths and bridges and said to contain over 700 stones.  Sanbo-in was designed for viewing from a specific perspective within the temple’s buildings. Laid out in the Momoyama period, the garden’s islands depict ‘fortuitous crane’, the ‘tortoise’ and the ‘"isle of eternal youth’ - poetic terms that show stones and ponds can be poised in a prescribed, esoteric relationship.
    23.KYOTO-DAIGOJI-02.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-23.jpg
  • Ninomaru garden was designed by the famous landscape architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu. It is located between the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.  Nijo Castle and its garden are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    ninomaru-7.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge, or "full moon bridge" built in the Chinese style at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Tokyo.  It has this name because a full moon is formed by the arch of the bridge and its reflection in the pond beneath.
    koishikawa-korakuen-24.jpg
  • Jizo in Snow - "Jizo" images and statues are popular in Japan as Bodhisattva who console beings awaiting rebirth and travelers. As such they are often found along roadsides, paths or even street corners.
    jizo-14.jpg
  • Japanese Tea House at the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate park was originally part of the Pan Pacific Exposition.  One of the craftsmen of the Japanese village, Makoto Hagiwara, helped design the Japanese village, and later he became responsible for the majority of the Japanese Tea Garden.  Hagiwara and his family became residents of one of the buildings in the garden, living within Golden Gate Park at the time.
    golden-gate-tea-9.jpg
  • Gardener at Suizenji - Suizenji Garden is strolling style Japanese garden located in Kumamoto Its centerpiece is a tsukiyama representation of Mount Fuji.  Lord Hosokawa began construction of the garden in 1636 as a teahouse retreat.  Hosokawa selected the site for the spring fed pool that provided excellent tea water. The Tea Arbor and Kokindenju Room are nearly 400 years old.
    japanese-gardener-4.jpg
  • Komyoji Garden at Komyoji Temple is a dry garden, sometimes called a Zen garden, though this temple is not of the Zen sect of Buddhism. It is a popular temple with locals in the Kamakura area for its abundant cherry blossoms in spring, frequent flea markets, and free parking near the beach.
    komyoji-pond-2.jpg
  • The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in chanting and writing wishes before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of the moss garden.
    AMBER-2021-EXTRA-102.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-12.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-07.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-01.jpg
  • Chishakuin Temple is the headquarters of the Chisan School of Shingon Buddhism.  Its garden was inspired by the area around Mt Lushan in China ("Rozen" in Japanese) and its beauty changes with the seasons. The temple itself is has several National Treasures of Japan, wall paintings and decorative screen paintings.
    chishakuin-1.jpg
  • Bayon is known for its impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and even mundane scenes such as these workmen carrying a tree.
    angkor-bas-relief-3.jpg
  • Victoria Can Tho - French Colonial Architecture in Can Tho -<br />
 In order to make the colonists feel more at home and at the same time to reflect its vision of imperial grandeur, the French colonial government set about systematically rebuilding  Vietnamese cities according to European specifications.
    victoria-can-tho-1.jpg
  • Carp Pond at Ekoin - Koyasan is one of the best places to experience a temple stay in Japan.  Carp pond and Japanese garden at Ekoin one of the more popular temples for foreign visitors at Koyasan.  One reason is that most of the young monks speak English, and Ekoin is well accustomed to foreign visitors.  Also Ekoin has morning prayer services and fire burning ceremonies that visitors can observe.
    ekoin-koyasan-14.jpg
  • 26. Saihoji 西芳寺 The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is often called Koke-dera or Moss Temple.  More than 120 different types of moss now grow at Saihoji, some developed naturally or even accidentally thanks to its nearness to the pond. Saihoji is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in tracing sutras before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the integrity of the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of this unique retreat.
    26.KYOTO-SAIHOJI-01.jpg
  • Komyoji Garden at Komyoji Temple is a dry garden, sometimes called a Zen garden, though this temple is not of the Zen sect of Buddhism. It is a popular temple with locals in the Kamakura area for its abundant cherry blossoms in spring, frequent flea markets, and free parking near the beach.
    komyoji-pond.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-14.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-15.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-11.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art is made up of the private collection of Zenko Adach who collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  He was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and  stone for the garden himself from all around Japan.  In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision. Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shoisai Project.
    adachi-garden-06.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-03.jpg
  • Carp Pond at Ekoin - Koyasan is one of the best places to experience a temple stay in Japan.  Carp pond and Japanese garden at Ekoin one of the more popular temples for foreign visitors at Koyasan.  One reason is that most of the young monks speak English, and Ekoin is well accustomed to foreign visitors.  Also Ekoin has morning prayer services and fire burning ceremonies that visitors can observe.
    AMBER-LOTUS-2023-62.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-13.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-6.jpg
  • Carp Pond at Ekoin - Koyasan is one of the best places to experience a temple stay in Japan.  Carp pond and Japanese garden at Ekoin one of the more popular temples for foreign visitors at Koyasan.  One reason is that most of the young monks speak English, and Ekoin is well accustomed to foreign visitors.  Also Ekoin has morning prayer services and fire burning ceremonies that visitors can observe.
    ekoin-koyasan-14.jpg
  • Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
    angkor-bas-relief-2
  • Monju Senji Temple Moss Covered Jizos - "Jizo" images and statues are popular in Japan as Bodhisattva who console beings awaiting rebirth and travelers. As such they are often found along roadsides, paths or even street corners.
    jizo-21.jpg
  • Ho Chi Minh Statue in a slightly elongated version of Uncle Ho at the Can Tho public gardens along the waterfront in central Can Tho.
    ho-chi-minh-statue.jpg
  • Cai Rang Floating Market is one of the three biggest in the Mekong Delta. The shops and stalls at these markets happen to be boats.  Cai Rang is open all day but it is busiest from dawn to about 9 am. The main items sold there are fresh produce from Cai Rang and neighboring areas. Larger boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The waterway becomes a maze of boats packed with mangos, bananas, papayas and pineapples.
    cai-rang-market-2.jpg
  • 78.5 Engakuji 円覚寺 is the main temple of the Engakuji sect of the Rinzai Buddhist sect. Engakuji is one of the leading Zen temples in eastern Japan and ranks second among Kamakura's five great Zen temples. Its unique garden was restored in 1969 according to an old drawing. Zen Buddhism regarded gardens as microcosms of the natural landscape and this is a fine example.
    78.5.TENTATIVE-KAMAKURA-ENGAKUJI-01.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-13.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-09.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-10.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-08.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-05.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-04.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-02.jpg
  • Tenryuji Sogenchi Pond Garden - Tenryuji Garden has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples". Tenryuji was established in 1339, and like many other temples burnt down several times over its history. Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind, that is "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's essential ingredients.
    tenryuji-9-crop.jpg
  • 78.7  Shomyoji 称名寺 was built by Hojo Sanetoki during the Kamakura period and was the Hojo family temple. The Jodo style pure land garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature - its arched bridge over the pond is its showcase. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print Shomyo-no-Bansho one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa. Today Shomyoji is no longer part of Kamakura but now officially within Yokohama city limits.
    78.7.TENTATIVE-KAMAKURA-SHOMYOJI-01.jpg
  • 24. Byodo-in 平等院 is well known in Japan, so much so that its outline is featured on the 10 YEN coin. Byodo-in was originally a private residence like many Japanese temples.  It was converted into a temple by the Fujiwara clan in 1052. The Phoenix Hall, the 8 foot tall statue of Amida inside it and several other items at Byodoin have been declared Japanese National Treasures. The pond garden at Byodo-in is considered to be one of best examples of a Pure Land garden in Japan.
    24.KYOTO-BYODO-IN-01.jpg
  • 23. Daigo-ji 醍醐寺 Within its grounds, Daigo-ji houses eighteen of Japan’s National Treasures. Among them are buildings belonging to Sanbo-in famous for the quality of its Japanese garden.  The garden was laid out with a large pond, paths and bridges and said to contain over 700 stones.  Sanbo-in was designed for viewing from a specific perspective within the temple’s buildings. Laid out in the Momoyama period, the garden’s islands depict ‘fortuitous crane’, the ‘tortoise’ and the ‘"isle of eternal youth’ - poetic terms that show stones and ponds can be poised in a prescribed, esoteric relationship.
    23..KYOTO-DAIGOJI-01.jpg
  • 19. Ryoanji 龍安寺 garden is the world's best known Zen garden. This rock garden, known as a dry garden or karesansui is the most renowned of its kind in the world. The simple appearance of this Zen garden consists of nothing but stones and neatly raked gravel. The intention of the garden's design is obscure and up to each visitor's interpretation. Like a Zen koan puzzle it is said that if you can see all of the 15 stones at once you will have reached enlightenment.
    19.KYOTO-RYOANJI-02.jpg
  • 18. Ginkakuji 銀閣寺 is a Zen temple at the foot of Higashiyama Eastern Mountain. The temple was formally known as Tozan Jishoji as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Its formal name  is Tozan Jishoji. The Silver Pavilion was constructed, modeled after is cousin Kinkakuji's Golden Pavilion.  The legend is that there were originally plans to cover the pavilion in silver but this never happened, even so the name Silver Pavilion stuck. The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death and is well known for its zen garden, parts of which are of more recent additions.  The unique Kogetsudai Moon Viewing Pavilion adds an enigmatic element to the surrounding horizontal sea of gravel.
    18.KYOTO-GINKAKUJI-01.jpg
  • 17. Kinkakuji 金閣寺 Temple of the Golden Pavilion was built in 1393 as a retirement villa for Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga.  He intended to cover the entire exterior of the pavilion with gold, but only managed to coat the third floor with gold leaf before his death.  After his death, his son converted the building into a Zen temple of the Rinzai school named Rokuonji in accordance with Ashikaga's wishes.  He also managed to get the first and second stories covered in gold leaf as it stands today.  This architectural treasure, reflecting in its surrounding pond, is a masterpiece of Japanese aesthetics
    17.KYOTO-KINKAKUJI-01.jpg
  • 16.  Tenryuji 天龍寺 has been ranked first among Kyoto's ‘Five Great Zen Temples’.  Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, is said to have created Tenryuji's garden which, unlike the temple buildings,  survived several fires intact and is considered one of the oldest gardens of its kind. This is a shakkei or borrowed landscape garden, integrating the background scenery of the hills of Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Rather than physically entering the garden, it shows a 3D effect and was meant to be viewed from a distance.  It is often cited as a one of the best examples of the use of borrowed scenery gardens in Japan.
    16.KYOTO-TENRYUJI-02.jpg
  • 11. Kamigamo Shrine 上賀茂神社 is the oldest Shinto shrine in Kyoto.  Kamigamo Jinja has preserved the legends relating to the birth of its shrine deity, Wakeikazuchi. The Kamo shinto gods protect Kyoto from malign forces.  The area contains many large oaks and weeping cherry trees coexisting in harmony.  The austere conical sand mounds symbolize purity. Kamigamo Shrine was under Imperial patronage during the Heian Period.
    11.KYOTO-KAMIGAMO-01.jpg
  • Byodo-in is a Buddhist temple in the city of Uji Kyoto prefecture, a National Treasure and a World Heritage Site.  Its outline is featured on the •10 coin. Built in 998 AD during the Heian period, Byodo-in was originally a private residence like many Japanese temples.  It was converted into a temple by the Fujiwara clan in 1052. The Phoenix Hall, the great statue of Amida inside it, and several other items at Byodoin are Japanese National Treasures. UNESCO listed the garden and building as a World Heritage Site in 1994.
    byodo-in-amber.jpg
  • Kogetsudai - Ginkakuji is a Zen temple at the foot of Kyoto's Higashiyama or "eastern mountain". The temple was formally known as Tozan Jishoji and built in 1482 as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. A few years later, the Silver Pavilion was constructed, modeled after Kinkakuji's Golden Pavilion. Plans to cover the pavilion in silver were never realized yet the name Silver Pavilion stuck. The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death and is well known for its zen garden.
    ginkakuji-1-crop.jpg
  • Entoku-in Garden was originally part of Fushimijo Castle and also a sub-temple of Kodaiji Temple. It was founded by a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The northern dry garden shows the essence of Momoyama style and is a registered National Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government. It was built in 1605 and dedicated as a Rinzai sect temple in 1633..
    entoku-in-6.jpg
  • Entoku-in Nantei, Southern Garden - Entoku-in Garden was originally part of Fushimijo Castle and also a sub-temple of Kodaiji Temple. It was founded by a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The northern dry garden shows the essence of Momoyama style and is a registered National Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government. It was built in 1605 and dedicated as a Rinzai sect temple in 1633..
    entoku-in-7.jpg
  • Ryogen-tei Garden at Ryogen-in which has a collection of Zen gardens. The most interesting would be Ryogin-tei, a Karesansui or dry garden designed and laid out in the early 16th century.
    ryogen-in-1.jpg
  • 26. Saihoji 西芳寺 The Moss Garden at Saihoji Temple is often called Koke-dera or Moss Temple.  More than 120 different types of moss now grow at Saihoji, some developed naturally or even accidentally thanks to its nearness to the pond. Saihoji is one of the few temples in Kyoto where visitors must request an invitation in advance before their visit. Visitors are required to participate in tracing sutras before visiting the famous gardens. In this way the monks are able to maintain the integrity of the temple and garden and prevent mass tourism from destroying the tranquility of this unique retreat.
    26.KYOTO-SAIHOJI-02.jpg
  • 20.1  Shosei-en Garden 渉成園 is a traditional Japanese formal garden thought to have been built in the ninth century on the site of Prince Minamoto Notoru's mansion. Fires in 1858 and 1864 burnt the walls and interior structures to the ground. They were thereafter restored, and in 1938 designated a National Historic Site. Within the grounds, there are several tea houses, a large pond, a small waterfall, stone lanterns and bridges Shosei-en is part of the Honganji temples complex.
    20.1.KYOTO-HONGANJI-06.jpg
  • 16.  Tenryuji 天龍寺 has been ranked first among Kyoto's ‘Five Great Zen Temples’.  Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, is said to have created Tenryuji's garden which, unlike the temple buildings,  survived several fires intact and is considered one of the oldest gardens of its kind. This is a shakkei or borrowed landscape garden, integrating the background scenery of the hills of Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Rather than physically entering the garden, it shows a 3D effect and was meant to be viewed from a distance.  It is often cited as a one of the best examples of the use of borrowed scenery gardens in Japan.
    16.KYOTO-TENRYUJI-01.jpg
  • Sogenchi Pond Garden - Tenryuji has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples".  Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind.  This is a "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's main ingredients and what makes it so special.
    tenryuji-13-crop.jpg
  • Entoku-in Garden was originally part of Fushimijo Castle and also a sub-temple of Kodaiji Temple founded by a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The northern dry garden shows the essence of Momoyama style and is a registered National Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government. It was built in 1605 and dedicated as a Rinzai sect temple in 1633..
    entoku-in-5.jpg
  • Yoko-en Garden at Taizo-in Temple displays both elegance and austerity and has been called one of the Showa era's finest gardens. The landscape gardener Nakane Kinsaku designed this expansive garden.  While difficult to see at a glance, great pains have gone into the details. An example of this is the spacious impression one gets when the garden is viewed from the front.
    taizo-in-7.jpg
  • Taizo-in, one of the many sub-temples at Miyoshinji Temple, is well-known for its spectacular Japanese gardens but also for opening its doors to visitors and casual tourists in order to teaching Zen Buddhism, including "Zen Experience" visits which include calligraphy sessions, tea ceremony, and a vegetarian lunch called shojin ryori - a special gourmet assortment of vegetarian dishes.
    taizo-in-17.jpg
  • Kaito-ro Bridge at Shosei-en - Kaito-ro, a covered bridge connects the north edge of Engetsu-chi pond and the north island at Shosei-en Garden - designed as a retreat for the chief priest Sen'nyo.  Shosei-en is also called Kikoku-tei "Orange Mansion" because it was once surrounded by orange groves. The garden is a Chisen-Kaiyu-Shiki teien that is a pond garden, or strolling garden with buildings such as tea-ceremony houses and bridges  throughout the grounds.
    shosei-en-8.jpg
  • Kaito-ro Bridge at Shosei-en - Kaito-ro, a covered bridge connects the north edge of Engetsu-chi pond and the north island at Shosei-en Garden - designed as a retreat for the chief priest Sen'nyo.  Shosei-en is also called Kikoku-tei "Orange Mansion" because it was once surrounded by orange groves. The garden is a Chisen-Kaiyu-Shiki teien that is a pond garden, or strolling garden with buildings such as tea-ceremony houses and bridges  throughout the grounds.
    shosei-en-5.jpg
  • Shinsetsu-kyo  at Shosei-en - A wooden bridge called Shinsetsu-kyo connects the west edge of Ingetsu-ichi pond and Kita-oshima, the north island. Shosei-en Garden was designed as a retreat for the chief priest Sen'nyo.  Shosei-en is also called Kikoku-tei "Orange Mansion" because it was once surrounded by orange groves. The garden is a Chisen-Kaiyu-Shiki teien  that is a pond strolling garden with buildings such as tea-ceremony houses arranged here and there throughout the grounds.
    shosei-en-2.jpg
  • Gyokudo Kawai was considered  a great master of Japanese painting who lived in Mitake so as a memorial to his accomplishments Gyokudo Museum was created by Ken Nakajima - the landscape architect. The garden has no specific observation point, thought it can be viewed from many angles without changing its general look.  A central design concept that has been used to describe this garden is nesting technique, which has long been utilized in Japanese art.  Natural stones found in adjacent Tama River were used for the garden's stones as well as a part of natural woods at the background crossed over the wall turned to be garden trees that have set the border between artificial and natural. This can be considered in contrast to borrowed scenery often employed in Japanese gardens. In other words, instead of designating as background, it directly employs the natural elements in the garden itself.
    gyokudo-4.jpg
  • Hase-dera Temple in Kamakura is officially named Kaiko-zan Jisho-in Hase-dera but commonly called Hase Kannon.  Hase-Dera has landscaped Japanese gardens, a giant prayer wheel, jizo caves, a bamboo grove, and a vegetarian restaurant up the hill with a birds-eye view of Kamakura and the Shonan Coast. Hase-dera is famous for its massive wooden statue of Kannon - a treasure of Japan.  Originally belonging to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, Hase-dera became an independent temple of the Jodo sect of Zen Buddhism.
    kamakura-hasedera-03.jpg
  • Shomyoji was built by Sanetoki Hojo during the Kamakura period, and was made the Hojo family temple of the Kanazawa area. The Jodo style garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature when considering the arched bridge. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print "Shomyo-no-Bansho," one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa.
    shomyo-ji-17.jpg
  • Shomyoji was built by Sanetoki Hojo during the Kamakura period, and was made the Hojo family temple of the Kanazawa area. The Jodo style garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature when considering the arched bridge. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print "Shomyo-no-Bansho," one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa.
    shomyo-ji-15.jpg
  • Hase-dera Temple in Kamakura is officially named Kaiko-zan Jisho-in Hase-dera but commonly called Hase Kannon.  Hase-Dera has landscaped Japanese gardens, a giant prayer wheel, jizo caves, a bamboo grove, and a vegetarian restaurant up the hill with a birds-eye view of Kamakura and the Shonan Coast. Hase-dera is famous for its massive wooden statue of Kannon - a treasure of Japan.  Originally belonging to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, Hase-dera became an independent temple of the Jodo sect of Zen Buddhism.
    kamakura-hase-dera-03.jpg
  • Meigetsuin Zen Garden - The karesansui zen garden of raked sand, rocks and plants at Meigetsuin Temple Garden represents legendary Mount Shumi or Sumeru an imaginary mountain in the Buddhist universe. According to records Meigetsuin was originally merely the guest house of a much bigger temple called Zenko-ji which was closed by the government during the Meiji period and is all that remains of the formerly important temple.
    meigetsuin-kamakura-5.jpg
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