Apr 4, 2015 - 1 min read

Garden of Yin and Yang and Sakura

Cascading cherry tree at a Japanese dry garden

By Masayoshi Hirose

Community writer

Translated by Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

Japanese beauty at its best! It looks like a painting on Japanese sliding doors.

When I walked under the tree cascading branches caressed my shoulder. It was so soothing!

Two colors of sand in the garden signify two sides of people's mind

Look up to find the ceiling paintings drawn in pale pink

Drooping branches are almost touching the sand on the ground!

Weeping cherry tree looking like a water painting in pale pink

Pink petals flowing in the river of the Japanese dry garden (kare-sansui garden)

Cherry boughs cascading like lithe silk threads!

A total of 15 stones, eight in the garden of Yin, seven in the garden of Yang, are set out

Weeping cherry trees cascading like an avalanche

On April 12th in 2014, I visited Taizo-in, one of the temples of Myoshin-ji Temple Complex in Kyoto.

When I was a high school student, I used to walk through the temple grounds to go to school every day, but I had never visited here to pray. This temple is famous for its beautiful garden called, 'The Garden of Yin and Yang', which has a gorgeous pond surrounded by seasonal flowers. This Kare-sansui garden (dry rock style garden) is divided in two parts, Yin (left) and Yang (right), by different-colored stones and sands. I visited here in cherry blossom season. When I passed through the gate with the carved with gourd cup and catfish, the 50-year-old weeping cherry tree materialized before me. This is a grandchild tree of a pink weeping cherry tree that stands in Heian Jingu Shrine. This magnificent weeping cherry tree was cascading over the Garden of Yin and Yang.

Weeping Cherry Tree at Taizo-in Temple 1. Garden of Yin and Yang and Sakura 2. Eternal Beauty of Taizo-in Temple 3. Cherry Trees at Daikyuan Teahouse