Moss Matters in Japanese Gardens, it is not a minor detail. In many places, it is the calm surface that allows rock, water, and maple to feel like one scene

Saihoji Temple—better known as Kokedera, the “Moss Temple,” is the kind of Kyoto place that refuses to be rushed. It isn’t designed for a quick loop and a few photos. Kyoto’s Garden of Origins and Journeys is designed for practice, for quiet, for the old understanding that the best journeys begin with a steady mind.

High on the forested slopes of Mount Mitaki, northwest of central Hiroshima, stands Mitaki-dera: Hiroshima's Mountain Temple, and one of western Japan’s most atmospheric Buddhist temples.

The Portland Japanese Garden and koi pond combine, causing visitors to linger, captivated by the colors and calm movement of the fish.

Across tranquil ponds and water gardens worldwide, the lotus flower has long captured human imagination and respect.

The life of Nishikigoi beyond the mountain ponds of Yamakoshi and Ojiya in Niigata Prefecture began mostly in Japanese Gardens...