UNSOLVED MYSTERY

Although it is estimated that the garden originates in Muromachi period (late 14th-16th century), who established it remains a mystery. Was it the founder of this temple Giten Genshō himself? Was it the sponsor of the establishment, General Hosokawa Katsumoto or, maybe, his son Masamoto? Or was it the master of tea ceremony (chanoyū) Kanamori Sōwa. Theories abound!

It was believed for a long time that the famed painter Sōami designed the garden; however, there is no definite proof of that.

A clue seems to lie in the names “Kotarō, (indecipherable)-jirō” carved into the back of a stone, but it this did not make the answer clearer.

Who designed the garden remains a mystery.

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