The traditional Japanese name for a rock garden with raked gravel is karesansui. The Japanese term is often translated as “dry landscape,” because these gardens use stones, gravel, and sand to suggest natural scenes without relying on ponds or streams.
Karesansui gardens commonly feature carefully placed rocks surrounded by raked gravel or sand. The rake patterns may evoke rippling water, waves, or flowing currents. Their sparse composition invites close observation and contemplation, which is why many famous examples are associated with Zen Buddhist temples.
The tradition is older than the modern English phrase “Zen garden.” References to karesansui appear in the Sakuteiki, a Japanese garden manual traditionally associated with the 11th century. The style developed in several historical forms and was not limited exclusively to temples.
The other options describe different garden or architectural concepts. Tsukiyama refers to an artificial-hill or pond-style garden, while shoin is associated with a Japanese architectural style or room. Chaniwa is a tea-garden style, usually designed as an approach to a tea house.