ABOVE: This small covered structure is called a Komiachi Machai or "waiting area" in Japanese and is part of the experience of strolling through a Tea Garden prior to entering the formal Tea House where the Tea Master conducts the tea ceremony. The garden's key component is the pathway that leads from the entrance and throughout the garden allowing guests to quiet their minds.

BELOW: This dry garden stone arrangement was designed and situated to be viewed from the Tea House. The river rock stones mimic the beach shoreline while the stone represent mountainous island landforms in the ocean. The gravel can be raked to simulate waves on the water and provide an interactive form of meditation.

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