In the initial style, a pond was placed in front of a major building of a temple, such as a Kondo (main temple hall) and/or an Amitabha hall, lotus was planted there and a flower garden was also planted, as its early sign seen in Yakushi-ji Temple and Hokke-ji Temple Jodoin in the Nara era.
初期の形態は、寺院の主要建築である金堂や阿弥陀堂の前面に池をつくり蓮を植え、花園を設けるなどしたもので、薬師寺や法華寺浄土院など奈良時代にそのきざしがみられる。