Japan''s Kare San Sui can be said to be a kind of spiritual garden, and its formation and development is not only related to the combination of Chinese culture, but also to the natural and social factors of Japan. Through the analysis and summary of relevant literature and ancient books, three conclusions can be drawn: first of all, the prototype of Kare San Sui can be traced back to the ancient times of Japan, and its landscape features are mainly simulated natural realism; secondly, during the Kamakura Period, due to political and Zen factors, Kare San Sui was endowed with the color of "Zen", and its performance characteristic is the magnificent river mountain, and thus achieves the deep and rich scene; third, the Muromachi Period, influenced by the Song Dynasty landscape painting, military, Kawaramono joining in the construction of gardens, and other factors, Kare San Sui is a highly imaginative artistic generalization with lyrical characteristics of landscape painting. Today''s social imitation in China has nothing to do with Zen in expressing emotions such as Kare San Sui through gardens. In the future, it should evolve and innovate in combination with China''s natural and social factors.