The term 'karesansui (dry landscape)' first appeared as a term in garden design in "Sakuteiki" (Garden Design Recording) (also called "Senzaihisho" (The Secret Excerpt of Gardening)), however, according to the afterword of "Gunshoruiju" edited by FUJIWARA no Yorimichi and TACHIBANA no Toshitsuna, the term first appeared in Yoshitsune KUJO (also called Yoshitsune KYOGOKU).
「枯山水」という字が作庭の用語として最初に現れる文献は『作庭記』（『前栽秘抄』）で、藤原頼通の子・橘俊綱の編集とされる（『群書類従』の奥書によれば九条良経（京極良経）である）。