Also called Dragon Garden, this design is a modern take on the karesansui tradition of combining gravel, rock features and moss. This client requested a garden that would not require any maintenance.

Kan was blessed to be able to incorporate some polished granite sculptures created by Kyoto artisan Katsuaki Takahashi. In honour of this collaboration with such a prolific sculptor, Kan created his own unique piece, hand-carving a “river” upon a stone surface.

This river receives water droplets from the bamboo spout of the take-kakehi. The water flows through the river, then drips into a “pond” and spreads out into the “ocean”. In classic style, the gravel represents the greater ocean, in the foreground a mossy island.

Since there are countless varieties of moss and karesansui gravel in Japan, this is an excellent testimony to material selection and attention to detail that Kan gives to every garden he creates. He always shows great respect for the clients’ wishes and produces original authentic works time after time.