Ladder-down dry landscape refers to a style of dry landscape gardening found in Zen Buddhist temples in Japan, known as 'kare-sansui'. It involves arranging rocks, sand, and sometimes moss to represent natural landscapes like mountains, rivers, and islands, without using water. This style of gardening is meant to evoke a sense of tranquility and the beauty of nature, often incorporating a symbolic ladder or bridge to symbolize the connection between the secular and spiritual worlds.