Ryoanji Temple is a temple established by the Muromachi period, Hosokawa Katsumoto. The famous Karesansui Garden has a simple structure and leaves the historical backdrop of the time when Zen culture flourished at that time.

When Queen Elizabeth of England came to Japan in 1975, she visited Ryoanji and acclaimed the rock garden.

The British Broadcaster Association (BBC) took up the news extensively, so that name became familiar worldwide as "Rock Garden".

Since then Ryoanji became a world famous garden and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1994.