The original temple was built on this site in 1144. The buildings were destroyed by fire in Meiji period (1893). The main garden was constructed in the Muromachi period and is attributed to Soami. An eastern garden is also attributed to Kobori Enshu. Shigemori Mirei, the garden designer and historian, maintains, however, that the garden was probably reconstructed in the Edo. Following the Meiji era fire, the garden was reconstructed once more by Ogawa Jihei in 1909.
This garden is known for its excellent acoustics and is sometimes the site of koto concerts. It is a small pond garden with groupings of rocks and shrubs surrounding the pond. Marc Treib states that it was originally intended to be viewed from the buildings, though paths now snake through the garden. A "Kirishima garden" has some Kirishima azaleas that date from the 19th century and a roji leads to the Kobun-tei teahouse.
The flow of the river --
Whatever I compare it to leaves out
the stones on the bottom