I like the translucent walls, that look like they have the shapes of things on the other side painted on them when the light is right.

Hi
when you see jgardenbook photos,most time they spray water before take photos.
Many sand/ small size gravel are not pure white. wall of temple are mixture of clay. lime and or ash, it cannot be white-white color. Even shoji paper/rice paper some time have show fiber and did not bleech paper.
In kyoto area offten Use Shirakawa suna, white river sand, acutuary it is sized small garvel with some black in it. Most wall of tea houses or shoins are light tan color. Old timer din't have pure white color pigment. new garden can paint white. but realy pure white. It is depend on garden you saw in photo.
yama