shoin niwa 書院庭

The garden which faces or surrounds the *shoin 書院. No special features are used in shoin niwa, although if the shoin has a distinct theme, it may be picked up in the garden. Typically the shoin garden is planted with a few shrubs and trees which supposedly symbolize remote mountain scenery in keeping with the general conception of the shoin as a scholar's hermitage. Some shoin niwa feature stepping stones to allow passage through the garden. In most cases the shoin garden is not intended as a focus of attention.