sawatobi 沢飛

Lit. "marsh crossing." A path made of stepping stones *tobi-ishi 飛石 placed in a shallow garden pond or stream. The stones called sawatobi-ishi 沢飛石 serve to extend a path across the watercourse, often leading to a central island nakajima 中島. Both natural and processed flat-topped stones were used, but old mill stones and bridge post stones were most common. Sawatobi, also called sawatari 沢渡, were popular in pond stroll gardens *chisen kaiyūshiki teien 池泉廻遊式庭園 of the mid-Edo period. In a few cases they were used to cross the dry pond *kareike 枯池 in dry gardens *karesansui 枯山水.