Tensha-en garden pond with stones

The rocks are very important in any type of Japanese traditional garden. Either sculpted and shaped as lanterns, or left in their natural form, the stones are often used both as ornaments and for practical use.

A nice example can be admired in the Tensha-en garden in Uwajima, where some of rocks were assembled to create a path and a bridge, while others, the stone arrangement on the lake shore, were fitted to prevent erosion. Other rocks, like the one in the foreground of this photo, are there just as ornaments...