haiseki 拝石

Keywords
Architecture
Gardens

Lit. worship stone. A type of trump stone *yaku-ishi 役石 from which one can see the whole garden. The stone allows worship of the Buddha in a kneeling position. Haiseki are frequently mentioned in Edo period garden manuals and it is thought that they became popular at this time. Each manual lists a different placement for the haiseki. Some recommend the area in front of the Buddhist Triad stones sanzonseki 三尊石, others stress the center of the garden, the central island nakajima 中島, or by a watercourse. The late Edo, Meiji, and Taishou periods *bugakuryū teien 武学流庭園 of Aomori and Akita Prefectures and the *gentanryū teien 玄丹流庭園 of Shimane Prefecture feature haiseki, known locally as shinpaiseki 神拝石. Alternate names for haiseki are raihaiseki 礼拝石 and yōhaiseki 遥拝石, while the term haiseki is equivalent to shigyōseki 枝行石, one shape of stone classified in the late Edo period series *gogyōseki 五行石. Haiseki use large, flat stones such as the *garan-ishi 伽藍石, abandoned temple foundation stones.