Ryotanji Temple

Ryotanji is a family temple of the Ii family, an important family even in the history of Japan.
Kobori Enshu Garden, which was built in the early Edo era, is a National Site of Scenic Beauty in Japan.

In the center of this garden, there is a stone called “Shugoseki” (protection stone), and on the front, on left and right, stones called “Niouseki” (worship stones) are placed.

The pond is the shape of the Chinese character (心, “Heart”), which is typical in Japan in the gardens of temples. By arranging a large number of stones, a waterfall, valleys, a turtle and a crane have been represented.

*Ii Family
From the Ii Family, famous persons for the history of the entire Japan have been Ii Naosuke and Ii Naomasa. In the end of the Edo shogunate, the feudal lord, Ii Naosuke, held the important position of Chief Minister. However, after the opening of Japan to the outside, in the attempt to modernize the country, he was assassinated at the Sakurada Gate of the Edo Castle.