Garden designing is an important art to the Japanese. It has been purified for over 1000 years. Great gardens can be found throughout Japan , especially  in the former capital of Kyoto. Japanese gardens are evolved into many styles with different purposes,including strolling garden for the enjoyment  of the Edo Period Lords.Also the dry stone gardens for the religious use by Zen monks. Japanese gardens use lots of things such as ponds , streams , islands and hills to create miniature  reproductions of natural scenery . The following are some of the most commonly used elements: stones gravel and sand.  Since ancient times stones have played roles in the Japanese culture. In Shinto  large stones are worshiped as kami, while gravel is used to designate sacred grounds , as seen on some shrines such as the Ise Shrine.