Konpuku-ji (C-137)

The beauty of each garden reflects the vision and ability of its gardener. While respecting their intentions, William always had his own idea when it came to gardens. The green bushes and the red maple complement each other amidst the neutral tones of the temple building and the white gravel. William used the white gravel as yohaku (empty space), which adds to a sense of ease and peacefulness.  Slowly our eyes can follow the curved lines from the left bottom along the gently curved roped fence to the stone path that leads up to the thatched hut, where the haiku poet Basho often stayed when he came to Kyoto. These elements are laid out in a beautifully ascending rhythm. We can also appreciate that William included the brown posts in the foreground which act as anchors in this image.