The garden to the west of the hojo known as 'Tokiwa-no-niwa' (The Garden of Tokiwa) was created at the time of the temple's founding by Yoshiharu HORIO (originally an attached garden named 'Tsuru-Kame-no Niwa' (Garden of a Crane and Turtle)) and the area around the stone turtle structure retains the look of this time in the temple's history.
方丈西庭は、「常盤の庭」といい、創建当初に堀尾吉晴が、造園したもの（本来、付属の庭で、「鶴亀の庭」）で、亀島あたりに当時の面影を残している。