Tenryu-ji Temple — UNESCO Zen Temple with Borrowed Scenery

Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, 'Heavenly Dragon Temple') is a UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple built in 1339, ranking first among Kyoto's five great Zen temples. The temple's Sogenchi Pond Garden (曹源池庭園) is considered a masterpiece of borrowed scenery (借景, shakkei) — the garden incorporates Mt. Arashiyama and the surrounding mountains as part of its designed landscape, creating seamless integration between garden and nature.

The pond garden was designed by priest-artist Muso Soseki (1275–1351), one of Japan's most influential garden designers. The garden remains largely unchanged from its 14th-century design, surviving wars and fires that destroyed the temple buildings multiple times.