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Ilyena_Sylph asked about my favorite place to visit in Japan. That would have to be specifically Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto! Daitokuji is a compound of little tiny Buddhist temples, many of which have a beautiful little garden attached to them where you can sit on a sun-warmed wooden veranda and contemplate the meaning of life.
The most famous of them is Daisen-in, which has a beautifully austere rock garden that represents a river that loops around the temple before ending in a vast ocean (or perhaps a foggy mountain range):
Koto-in has an entrance walk through a maple grove before reaching a mossy garden.
Ryougen-in has a set of five very small rock gardens that focus on having especially dramatic "ripples" around the rocks.
I usually end up spending a couple of hours going from temple to temple when I visit; it's not on the usual rotation of school tours, so it's often much more quiet and relaxing than the more well-known temples!
The most famous of them is Daisen-in, which has a beautifully austere rock garden that represents a river that loops around the temple before ending in a vast ocean (or perhaps a foggy mountain range):
Koto-in has an entrance walk through a maple grove before reaching a mossy garden.
Ryougen-in has a set of five very small rock gardens that focus on having especially dramatic "ripples" around the rocks.
I usually end up spending a couple of hours going from temple to temple when I visit; it's not on the usual rotation of school tours, so it's often much more quiet and relaxing than the more well-known temples!