Iwagumi

Stone arrangement. One carpet plant, one school of fish, and nowhere to hide a mistake. It is the hardest style to keep and the easiest to describe.

Four stones, four jobs.

OyaishiThe main stone. Largest, set slightly off-centre, leaning with the flow of the scape rather than against it.
FukuishiThe secondary stone. Roughly two-thirds the height of the Oyaishi, placed on the opposite side to balance it.
SoeishiThe supporting stone. Small, tucked close to the main stone, its job is to make the Oyaishi look inevitable.
SuteishiThe sacrificial stone. Often half-buried and barely visible. Remove it and the composition falls apart.