Buddhist temple Rean-JI temple became widely known thanks to its Garden of stones. The garden was created by monks for meditation, according to one version, its author was master of Soami, another master whose name is unknown.

Rean-JI temple, or the Temple resting Dragon, was founded in 1450 by order of warlord Hosokawa Katsumoto. His patrons were the rulers of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. During the civil war Onin the temple, like many buildings in Kyoto, was plundered and burned.

The temple is situated in the northwestern part of Kyoto near the Golden pavilion of Kinkaku-JI temple and included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Rean-JI temple is run by monks of the school of Masindi branch of Rinzai.

Garden stone Rean-JI temple is the most famous in Japan. Since the garden is at the temple, and you can get to it only after going through the temple, and to observe it only from the veranda of the temple. The author of the garden he put in it the riddle: from whatever side you look at the garden will be visible only 14 stones. To see all fifteen, you need to either climb to a height of bird's flight, or to achieve the enlightened state, to which are committed by a Buddhist monk.

Garden of stones is the platform 30 to 10 meters, surrounded by a clay wall. Playground covered with white sand and gravel, on this special coating held rake furrows running parallel to the long side of the garden, and around the stones radiating circles. The stones are placed groups: one with five stones, in two - two and two - three. The only colour accent garden is moss around the stones. There are several interpretations of the values and location of stones. One of them, the stones do the tops of the mountains, and the sand – clouds. Second, the sand symbolizes water, and stones of the island. Third, the stones were a tigress with cubs, swims the river.

In the temple are other attractions. For example, stone vessel Rean-JI temple Tsukuba, whose water is used for ritual ablutions. The tank source resembles a Japanese coin, and the inscription can be translated as "This knowledge is enough".

On the temple grounds there is a pond, which is popular among young Japanese couples. The fact that the pond was chosen by the Japanese duck oshidori, which are considered a symbol of fidelity. A small island in the middle of the pond is called Bentenjima and dedicated to the goddess Benten, one of the seven Shinto gods of luck.