About Gardening -History and Styles-: #5　Japanese Garden

Japanese garden is far different from European ones. European gardens take the view of the nature itself frankly or show beauties of symmetrical visions, but Japanese gardens idealize natural landscapes and remake them the best form for Japanese. It sounds abstract and hard to imagine but to see a photo, it is clear. There are obvious unnatural curves everywhere; however, panoramic views of the gardens are not so unnatural. That is what Japanese pursued. Basically, Japanese gardens have a pound (carps are often swimming in it) then to around it, trees, shrubs, moss, stones and water flow are arranged.

Karesausui

In Japanese garden, you may see the ground filled with sands and stones and surface of it looks wavy. It is one style called “karesansui”. Karesansui is the way to represent water flow without waters. Then, there is a reason not to use water itself. At first, yard with white sand in Zen temple was one place for ritual. But gradually, rituals became not placed in there. Instead of this, that yard changed to the place for zen meditation. Karesansui is a view suitable for meditation for zen priest.

Three Great Japanese Gardens are “Kairakuen”, “Kourakuen” and “Kenrokuen”. Kairakuen was opened at Mito, Ibaraki, Japan in 1842. It is said famous place of plum trees. “Kourakuen” is placed at Okayama. It started construction in1687 and completed in1700. By the way, around 1700 B.C., there were still samurai in Japan. “Kenrokuen” is placed in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. At that time, Kanazawa was said very rich city, so Kenrokuen have great landscapes. Don’t forget there are so many other beautiful gardens in Japan.

Kairakuen with plum trees

Kourakuen

Kenrokuen

Shakkei

There is some popular equipment of Japanese garden. First, shishiodoshi is very popular facility in Japan. It is for threaten wild harmful animals and prevent them from walking up to the garden with making sound. It works by water power. Second, tourou is a kind of lantern made by stone. Actually, in the garden, tourou acts as decoration rather than light spot. Then, a technique to show the garden better called “shakkei” is great. Shakkei seems “borrow a scene” in English. As its name suggests, shakkei is an art of the garden and landscapes of nature. There is a photo of one example of shakkei. The garden in the front of the picture is real garden and the mountain in the back is not in the garden’s premises. It borrows the mountain’s scenery and makes more extent.