Ryoanji Temple, Kyoto City, Japan

Ryoanji Temple is located in the northwest of Kyoto city in Japan. It is located further west of the famous Kinkakuji Temple and can be easily reached by bus from Kinkakuji Temple bus stop. If you visit Kinkakuji temple while in Kyoto city, please make some time to visit this beautiful temple also. Ryoanji Temple is a sprawling complex with over 100 acres of land consisting of a big pond, beautiful trees, trimmed gardens and old statues. It was originally built as a residential villa for ruling clans of Kyoto in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries but then later on converted to a Buddhist temple. Ryoanji temple is known for it's dry landscape rock garden (Hojo Garden). This garden gives visitors an idea of how the dry landscape gardens are built inside Japanese homes.