which is principally composed of just sand and stone. While there are many similar examples, Ryoanji is stemmed as the original. Unlike other landscape gardens, Ryoanji does not feature stones of special sizes and shapes, but relies on its intricate composition to create a subtle and harmonic garden. Its brilliance lies on its subtlety and transcendental sensitivities. The development of dry garden is influenced by a number of different sources: the dominant Zen philosophy, the small tray gardens of Japan and China and the imported Chinese Confucian thinking.

Photograph by Naru.