Keywords
Architecture
Gardens
Lit. "shirakawa stone." A type of granite quarried from the Shirakawa 白川 area north of Kyoto. Soft and easily processed, it is also easily broken and thus used often for garden stones, paving and lanterns in the Kyoto area. Related is shirakawa suna 白川砂, the fine white sand often used in dry gardens *karesansui 枯山水.