Mountainous rock elements were placed at the southwest corner of Oizumi ga Ike, just west of the great southern gate that was the temple's entrance. Large and small stones have been arranged to rise 4m from the water's surface, simulating a rocky mountainscape. It is thought that this configuration is based on the karesansui (dry landscape garden, or rock garden) concept advanced in Sakuteiki ("Treatise on Garden Making"), the eleventh century masterpiece of garden art and architecture.