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枯山水 (かれさんすい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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有ゆう
名めい
だ
。
The dry landscape garden at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto is world-famous.
A kare-sansui garden expresses the flow of water using only sand and stones.
Related words 日本にほん 庭てい 園えん 日本庭園 is a broader term for Japanese gardens in general, while 枯山水 specifically refers to the dry landscape style without water.
石せき 庭てい 石庭 (rock garden) is sometimes used interchangeably, but 枯山水 emphasizes the dry, waterless aspect and the symbolic representation of landscapes.
Written forms 枯山水
枯か れ 山さん 水すい
Alternate spelling using okurigana; less common but still encountered.
こせんすい
Etymology From 枯れ (kare, 'dried up, withered') + 山水 (sansui, 'landscape, hills and waters'), literally 'dry landscape'. The term refers to a garden style that uses rocks and sand to evoke natural scenery without water.