Fancy a zen time in Kyoto? The Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto is one such area to chill. Ryoan-ji is most famous for its Zen rock garden at its main building hall. It is tad one of those spots that feels quiet even when it’s packed with people. Interestingly, what is there with a temple known for 15 stones on a rectangular gravel plot? Let’s check it out.
On some history, the temple belongs to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. It dates back to the 15th century. Notably, the temple was originally an aristocrat’s villa. This was before it was converted into a temple in 1450 by Hosokawa Katsumoto, one of the deputies to the Shōgun. Notably, the building here is not the original one. A fire destroyed it in the 1700s, and was later rebuilt and maintained with care till today as a ticketed attraction. Today, the temple is part of Kyoto’s UNESCO World Heritage “Historic Monuments” group, which makes sense. It holds cultural weight.
Getting to Ryoan-ji Temple
Ryoan-ji temple is easily accessible via Kyoto bus and train public transport network. Bus is the preferred option for traveling out of the Kyoto city center where the temple resides. The temple is served by bus services 59 and 50, with service 50 running from Kyoto city. The journey from city center takes about a 40 min ride costing about 230 yen using contactless cards like Passmo or Suica.
You alight at a quiet neighborhood which offers very little clue to what lies ahead. This apart from a small uphill path into a forested park area which brings you to the temple park and ticketing counter. Here, you can explore and walk in from the entrance is shaded by tall trees.
Moreover, the temple entrance fee is modest, costing an affordable 600 yen per adult to enter. Opened daily from 8am to 5pm, your ticket grants access to the main hall, the outdoor gardens as well as the famed rock garden within the temple’s main hall compound.
Entering the Ryoan-ji Temple main hall
At the main hall entrance, you have to take off your shoes and store them at shoe racks. Also, the wooden floors are old but clean, and they creak a little underfoot. It tad adds some character to an otherwise old wooden hall.
Photography is freely allowed, but people tend to stay quiet with hushed tones. Just like a quiet library, it is the kind of place that makes you lower your voice without being told, a very Japanese thing indeed.
Dry landscape garden of 15 stones
The Stone Garden is small but strangely vast, just 15 stones laid out in small groups on patches of moss and arranged on raked white gravel. Additionally, the gravel garden is framed by low earthen walls, which forms a boundary. Though there is notably no barrier between the main hall and the gravel pit.
No matter where you sit, you can’t see all 15 rocks at once. Some say it represents islands in the sea, or mountains poking through clouds. Others say it’s just meant to make you think. There’s no sign explaining it. You’re supposed to find your own meaning in the silence.
You sit on the wooden veranda facing the rock garden, shoes off, and just watch. Notably, there’s not much sound, maybe birds or a breeze. It is a spot maybe where ideas and thoughts can come to mind.
Who knows, the longer you stare, the more your eyes try to find patterns. But they don’t. That’s the point. It’s oddly calming. The space isn’t large, but it forces you to pause. The gravel is raked so precisely it almost looks painted. You’ll probably catch yourself wondering how often they rake it. Daily, most likely. The effort behind something so minimalist is impressive.
Interior temple halls
Moreover, once you are done with the stone, the main hall has several points of interests. Examples includes rice paper door paintings depicting dragons too and a small manicured green garden around the perimeter of the main hall.
Notably, it is more organic and untamed than the rock garden. There’s also a round stone washbasin with an inscription, known as tsukubai, used by monks before ceremonies. The kanji around it roughly read “I learn only to be content”. A neat little phrase that sums up the temple’s mood.
Also, behind the main hall building, you’ll find a modest courtyard and a moss-covered Japanese zen garden. Interestingly, on a sidenote, the toilets here offers slippers for you to use as you have to keep your shoes at the hall entrance.
Temple garden grounds and lake
Furthermore, the pond garden is another highlight you should not miss. It lies below the temple, and accessible via a few minutes walk through shaded forested paths. This section existed even before the rock garden and was part of the original estate. Also, here you can find a large vast lily pond with water lilies and lotus pads which seems to span on the entire lake.
Also, the pond is called Kyoyo-chi located in the southern area of the temple grounds. It is filled with ducks, herons, and the occasional koi. A gravel walking path circles it, and there are benches scattered around. Notably, the pond was a popular place for visiting nobles during the Heian period.
The temple grounds are large, but not overwhelming. You need about 45 minutes to an hour to walk through the entire grounds. That includes sitting by the rock garden for a bit, which is sort of the point. Try not to rush. This place rewards slow pacing.
Moreover, during autumn, the trees here are decked in a shade of red and gold. In spring, the cherry blossoms by the water give the whole place a dream-like feel. Moreover, there’s a small teahouse near the pond, but it is not always open. When it is, it’s a good spot for a matcha tea break. Also, there are also a couple of small shrines tucked into the greenery on the temple grounds. The garden’s are simply and not flashy. There are no towering pagodas or giant Buddha statues. What you get instead is stillness.
Wrapping up
All in all, that wraps up our visit here of Ryoan-ji temple. It is a spot to visit if you are checking out the outer sights of Kyoto, such as the nearby Golden pavilion for instance. It might be boring for some people staring at rocks, while others leave feeling oddly peaceful. You are left to take what you want from it, depending on how you approach it. Ryoan-ji temple is definitely more Zen and a break from Kyoto’s busier temples. All you need is time, some patience, and a quiet moment to sit still. Ryoan-ji doesn’t offer much by doing. It offers more by being. That’s rare these days.
