Japanese gardening

Kiyosumi Teien

Daimyo (大名) refers to powerful feudal lords in the Edo Period (from 1603 - 1867). The gardens built at their estate in Edo (Tokyo) or in the castle town of his domain in that period called Daimyo Garden (大名庭園). More or less, these gardens implied peace and prosperity in Edo Period, as well as political and social influence of the feudal lords.

Kiyosumi Teien (清澄庭園) is one of the daimyo gardens (大名庭園) in Tokyo. It integrates various styles of dry landscapes ("karesansui", 枯山水), symbolically represent the natural landscapes, along a path circling a pond. Thus, it's also known as scroll gardens ("kaiyūshiki teien", 廻遊式庭園).

Kiyosumi Teien features stone arrangements. Though crossing the stepping stones in dark at the garden would be an adventure. I like visiting Japanese garden not just because of its highly sophisticated form of landscape design, but also its profound implications for Edo-period cultural history.