Japan
November 4, 2026 Two Temples and a Shrine Today we toured two Buddhist Temples, a Shinto Shrines, and their respective gardens. The Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple (Temple of the Peaceful Dragon), Zen Buddhist temple. The garden is a rectangular plot of raked white gravel featuring 15 carefully placed rocks arranged in small clusters on patches of moss, enclosed by a low oil-stained wall. The garden was designed so that from any single viewing vantage point along the temple's veranda, at least one stone is always hidden from view. A portion of the Cloud Dragon ink wash sliding door. The paintings were created by former Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosikawa. They are on display at the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavillion) is a famous Buddhist Temple. The top two floors of the three-storey reliquary hall are completely covered in pure gold leaf. It was built in 1937 as a retirement villa for a shogun and later converted to a Zen templ...