How does a kare-sansui garden represent water without using real water?

In a kare-sansui (dried-up landscape) garden, the representation of water without the use of actual liquid is achieved through the strategic use of dry materials and symbolic composition.

Designers utilize gravel or sand to symbolize water or to suggest terrain that has seasonally dried up. These materials are often raked into patterns that evoke the movement of water, such as ripples or waves. Additionally, rocks are carefully composed to suggest features like waterfalls and their basins.1

By using these elements, the garden creates an abstract, minimalist landscape that encourages reflection and meditation. This style relies on the viewer's perception and association to interpret the symbolic representation of a sea or stream, as seen in famous examples like the garden at Ryōan-ji, where raked sand and stone groupings suggest rocky islets in a sea.12