Garden of Yin and Yang and Sakura

Cascading cherry tree at a Japanese dry garden

Takako Sakamoto Apr 04, 2015 - 2 min read

<p>Japanese beauty at its best! It looks like a painting on Japanese sliding doors.</p>

<p>The sand is black in the garden of Yin</p>

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

<p>Two colors of sand in the garden signify two sides of people's mind</p>

<p>Look up to find the ceiling paintings drawn in pale pink</p>

<p>Drooping branches are almost touching the sand on the ground!</p>

<p>Weeping cherry tree looking like a water painting in pale pink</p>

<p>Pink petals flowing in the river of the Japanese dry garden (kare-sansui garden)</p>

<p>Cherry boughs cascading like lithe silk threads!</p>

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

<p>Weeping cherry trees cascading like an avalanche</p>

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

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Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...