Tenryu-ji Temple is main attraction is its Zen garden which dates from the 14th Century. A triumph of design, the garden features a large pond which catches the reflection of the maple trees and large rough-cut rocks which surround it. It also makes use of "borrowed scenery" from the nearby hills of Arashiyama, which seem like the next tier of the garden. Many elements of this garden were prototypes for later gardens built elsewhere.

In autumn, the maples provide a fine display of fall color, while in spring you might see the blossoms of wild cherry trees or the stunted trunks of Japanese red pines on the distant hills. In any season, as you sit in the shelter and view the garden, you will likely find your thoughts settling and your body relaxing. The garden has a way of calming one's spirit it was designed partly for this reason.

The name Tenryuji means, "Heavenly Dragon Temple," and it was built after a shogun dreamed of a dragon rising from a nearby river, which was taken to mean that the spirit of the recently-departed emperor Go-Daigo was uneasy. The temple with its garden was built to appease his spirit. It is now the headquarters of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, and visitors can sample the temple's Zen vegetarian cuisine, known as "shojin ryori."