Ryoan-ji is a Buddhist temple famous for its Zen rock garden, built in the 15th century. Although the rock garden may be the main attraction, the temple grounds are beautiful, especially during the cherry blossom time or during Fall.

After purchasing your ticket, you'll follow a path along the grounds. There's a lake with a small boat and a little island with a small shrine. There are many cherry trees with beautiful blossoms in spring. There is also different kinds of moss covering the trees and ground.

The path leads up to the main temple which contains the rock garden. The garden is composed of raked gravel and fifteen rocks. From every angle except one, only fourteen rocks can be seen. You are allowed to sit in front of the garden and contemplate to your heart's content. The Buddhists want you to come to your own conclusion about the garden and what it means to you. They don't tell you what you should see.

Ryoan-ji is another popular temple that is best visited in the morning, before the crowds hit. It opens at 9am and this is when you'll find the fewest people. Having less people there allows you the best atmosphere for meditation or deep thought.

Although staring at rocks may not sound like a great time, if you're in the right mental state then it can be an exhilarating experience. The wonderfully landscaped grounds can help bring this about. Be sure to come here with a calm mind.

Ryoanji Temple lies in the north-western region of Tokyo (in Ukyo-ku), somewhat removed from the central Kyoto area. The most convenient way to get to the temple is by bus, with the bus stop just a couple of feets away from the temple entrance. It can be hard to miss since there is an unassuming and small rock path leading into Ryoanji's main gate. Ryoanji Temple is famous for its simple Zen-inspired rock garden. The garden is housed within "Kuri", the temple's main building. The small rectangular garden consists of only 15 rocks laid out on patch of symmetrically-raked gravel (no trees, no plants). It does not live-up to its hype upon first glance because the garden is just about 20 meters long. But as you sit there and try to wonder why the rocks were placed in such a way, you start realizing the peacefulness that surrounds the temple.

This Zen garden is simple, almost barren, but the longer you sit and the longer you stare, the more you will feel relaxed and refreshed. Walk around the main building to the back and you will see a simple stone basin with water trickling into it, and with the Japanese inscription "I learn only to be contented". The basin is surrounded by trees and a small water pond, and again, nothing ornate but very simple and peaceful. Walk around the grounds of Ryoanji and you will enjoy the temple's peacefulness.

The tree-surrounded gravel trail within the temple will lead you into smaller temple structures, a pagoda, and smaller tree and flower gardens (especially beautiful during spring-time when all the cherry and peach blossoms are blooming). There is also a lily-pad pond with occasional sightings of ducks. The temple and its grounds can be walked at a leisurely pace at about 1 to 1.5 hours. I suggest getting there when it opens (8/8:30am) so you can avoid the crowds and enjoy the garden and temple's Zen-inspired environment.

Continuing along the pathway and then up some stairs, you reach the actual building that has the garden. Built in the 15th century, the garden consists only of walls, raked gravel and 15 medium-to-large rocks. It seems quite small, only 30 meters long and maybe 10 meters across. A fascinating aspect is that no matter which angle you view the garden from, you can only see 14 rocks. There are a variety of theories regarding why the garden is so simple, one of the main theories says that it was influenced by the tea ceremony, which also relies on simplicity.

Leaving the rock garden and going out on to a covered walkway, the next most striking feature is a stone water basin that is very low to the ground. It is surrounded by a series of Japanese characters, which essentially refer to knowledge, an important concept of Zen. This temple is extremely pleasant to visit, even in the heat of the summer, because the trees offer plenty of shade.