The Zen gardens are made for meditation, so they are usually wide enclosed spaces, designed to prevent any distraction or disturbance. However, the Totekiko Zen garden of Ryogen-in, Kyoto, photographed here, is a bit unusual, because it was built… in the narrow space between two temple buildings.

Totekiko occupies only a few square meters, being the smallest Japanese Zen rock garden. Designed in 1958 by Nabeshima Gakusho, it represents a Zen koan: “The harder a stone is thrown in, the bigger the ripples”.

Totekiko, Ryogen-in Temple, Kyoto

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Visiting Tokyo, Shiba Daijingu