Grădinile Ninomaru ale castelului Nijō din Kyoto au fost proiectate de maestrul

grădinii Kobori Enshu. Palatul a fost construit pentru primul shogun Edo
Tokugawa Ieyasu în perioada timpurie Edo (1603-1868). Există numeroși pomi de
cireșe și prune, între floare și martie și aprilie.
Grădina este un iaz mare, cu trei insule care simbolizează Horai-san și munții
macaralei și broaștelor de țestoase ale mitologiei taoiste.
Cea mai veche dintre cele trei grădini ale castelului Nijo este grădina Ninomaru,
construită în perioada Edo. Este o grădină cu un lac cu 3 insule, proiectată de
arhitectul Kobori Enshu.
Este preferatul meu în rândul celor trei, pentru că sunt fascinat de bogata colecție
de roci frumoase, plasate armonios în jurul țărmului lacului.

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most visited in Kyoto
Nijo Castle (二条城, Nijōjō) was built in 1603 as the Kyotoresidence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the
first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace
buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five story castle keep.
After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a
while before being donated to the city and opened up to the public as a historic site. Its palace
buildings are arguably the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal
era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.

Nijo Castle can be divided into three areas: the Honmaru (main circle of defense), the Ninomaru
(secondary circle of defense) and some gardens that encircle the Honmaru and Ninomaru. The
entire castle grounds and the Honmaru are surrounded by stone walls and moats.

Karamon Gate
Visitors to Nijo Castle enter the castle grounds through a large gate in the east. English audio
guides are available for rent (500 yen) at a kiosk just inside the gate. Venturing further into the
castle will bring you to the Chinese style Karamon Gate, the entrance to
the Ninomaru (secondary circle of defense), where the castle's main attraction, the Ninomaru
Palace is located.

The Ninomaru Palace served as the residence and office of the shogun during his visits

to Kyoto. Surviving in its original form, the palace consists of multiple separate buildings that
are connected with each other by corridors with so called nightingale floors, as they squeak when
stepped upon as a security measure against intruders. The palace rooms are tatami mat covered
and feature elegantly decorated ceilings and beautifully painted sliding doors (fusuma).
Ninomaru Palace
The tour route passes by multiple waiting and audience rooms. Only the highest ranked visitors
were allowed all the way into the main audience room where the shogun would sit on an elevated
floor, flanked by bodyguards hidden in closets. Lower ranked visitors would be allowed only as
far as the adjoining rooms without direct view of the shogun. The innermost rooms consisted of
offices and living chambers, the latter of which were only accessible to the shogun and his
female attendants.

Outside of the Ninomaru Palace extends the Ninomaru Garden, a traditional Japanese landscape
garden with a large pond, ornamental stones and manicured pine trees.
Ninomaru Garden
The Honmaru (main circle of defense) was the site of a second palace complex and a five
story castle keep. However, both structures were destroyed by fires in the 18th century and were
never rebuilt. After the fall of the shogunate, an imperial residence was moved from the Katsura
Imperial Palace to Nijo Castle's Honmaru where it remains today as the Honmaru Palace.

Unlike the Ninomaru Palace, the Honmaru Palace is not regularly open to the public, although
there are occasional special openings. Visitors may, however, walk around the Honmaru gardens
and climb up the stone foundation of the former castle keep, which offers views over the castle
grounds.
Honmaru
The Honmaru and Ninomaru are surrounded by green space and tree lined walking paths. Cherry
trees of numerous varieties are planted throughout the castle grounds, including nearly 400
cherry trees of late blooming varieties in a cherry orchard. Because of the many cherry tree
varieties present, the blooming season at Nijo Castle usually lasts from late March through the
entire month of April.

The castle also features a plum orchard, which is typically in bloom from late February to early
March, and Seiryuen, a half Japanese, half Western style garden built in 1965 for cultural events
such as tea ceremonies. Many areas of the castle grounds are also populated by maple, ginkgo
and other trees that offer brilliant autumn colors usually during the second half of November.

former Imperial Villa Nijō Castle

元離宮二条城

Kyoto, Japan
 The karamon main gate to Ninomaru Palace

Type Plains castle (平城)

Site information

Owner Kyoto

Open to yes

the public

Site history

Built 1679

Built by Tokugawa shogunate

In use 1626–1939

Nijō Castle (二条城 Nijō-jō) is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric

rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various
support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square metres
(27.5 ha; 68 acres), of which 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) is occupied by buildings.
It is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated
by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Contents
 1History
 2Fortifications
 3Ninomaru Palace
 4Honmaru Palace
 5Gardens
 6See also
 7References
 8Literature
 9External links

History[edit]

Plan of Nijō Castle

1. Great Eastern Gate (Higashi- 15. Southern Gate (Minami-

Ōte-mon) mon)
2. Guard house 16. Cherry-trees grove
3. Kara-mon 17. Plum-trees grove
4. Honourable Carriage Approach 18. West Gate (Nishi-mon)
5. Ninomaru Palace  19. Honmaru
6. Kuroshoin 20. Bridge
7. Shiroshoin (shōgun's quarters) 21. Honmaru Garden
8. Ninomaru Garden  22. Donjon
9. Pond 23. Waraku-an (teahouse)
10. Kitchen 24. Koun-tei (teahouse)
11. Meal preparation room 25. Great North Gate (Kita-Ōte-
12. Storage buildings mon)
13. Resting room 28. Green Garden
14. Toilets 27. Gallery
In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in
Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijō Castle, which was completed during the reign
of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the karamon,
were moved here in 1625–26. [1] It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shōguns. The
Tokugawa shogunate used Edo as the capital city, but Kyoto continued to be the home of
the Imperial Court. Kyoto Imperial Palace is located north-east of Nijō Castle.
The central keep, or Tenshu, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750.
In 1788, the Inner Ward was destroyed by a citywide fire. The site remained empty until it was
replaced by a prince's residence transferred from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1893.
In 1867, the Ninomaru Palace, in the Outer Ward, was the stage for the declaration by Tokugawa
Yoshinobu, returning the authority to the Imperial Court. Next year the Imperial Cabinet was installed
in the castle. The palace became imperial property and was declared a detached palace. During this
time, the Tokugawa hollyhock crest was removed wherever possible and replaced with the
imperial chrysanthemum.
In 1939, the palace was donated to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the following year.
In the 21st century, typhoons have periodically caused sections of plaster to peel off the walls after
exposure to rain and wind.[2]

Fortifications[edit]

Inner walls and moat of the Nijō Castle

Nijō Castle has two concentric rings of fortifications, each consisting of a wall and a wide moat. The
outer wall has three gates while the inner wall has two. In the southwest corner of the inner wall,
there are foundations of a five-story keep, destroyed by a fire in 1750. The inner walls surround the
Inner Ward, which contain Honmaru ("Inner Ward") Palace with its garden. Ninomaru ("Second
Ward") Palace, the kitchens, guard house and several gardens are located in the Outer Ward,
between the two main rings of fortifications.

Ninomaru Palace[edit]

Ninomaru palace of Nijō Castle

Exterior view of the Ninomaru Palace

Tokugawa Yoshinobu in the Kuroshoin

Map of the Ninomaru Palace (click for detailed view and explanation)
Detail of the ceiling of Ninomaru Palace

The 3,300-square-meter (36,000-square-foot) Ninomaru Palace (二の丸御殿 Ninomaru

Gōten) consists of five connected separate buildings and is built almost entirely of Hinoki cypress.
The decoration includes lavish quantities of gold leaf and elaborate wood carvings, intended to
impress visitors with the power and wealth of the shōguns. The sliding doors and walls of each room
are decorated with wall paintings by artists of the Kanō school.
The castle is an excellent example of social control manifested in architectural space. Low-ranking
visitors were received in the outer regions of the Ninomaru, whereas high-ranking visitors were
shown the more subtle inner chambers. Rather than attempt to conceal the entrances to the rooms
for bodyguards (as was done in many castles), the Tokugawas chose to display them prominently.
Thus, the construction lent itself to expressing intimidation and power to Edo-period visitors.
The building houses several different reception chambers, offices and the living quarters of
the shōgun, where only female attendants were allowed. One of the most striking features of the
Ninomaru Palace are the "nightingale floors" (uguisubari) in the corridors. To protect the occupants
from sneak attacks and assassins, the builders constructed the floors of the corridors in such a way
as to squeak like birds when anyone walks on them.
Some of the rooms in the castle also contained special doors where the shogun's bodyguard could
sneak out to protect him.
The room sequence starting at the entrance is:

 Yanagi-no-ma (Willow Room),

 Wakamatsu-no-ma (Young Pine Room)
 Tozamurai-no-ma (Retainers' Room)
 Shikidai-no-ma (Reception Room)
 Rōchu-no-ma (Ministers' Offices)
 Chokushi-no-ma (Imperial Messenger's Room)
The Ōhiroma (Great Hall) is the central core of the Ninomaru Palace and consists of four chambers:

 Ichi-no-ma (First Grand Chamber)

 Ni-no-ma (Second Grand Chamber)
 San-no-ma (Third Grand Chamber)
 Yon-no-ma (Fourth Grand Chamber)
as well as the Musha-kakushi-no-ma (Bodyguards' Chamber) and the Sotetsu-no-ma (Japanese
fern-palm chamber).
The rear sections are the Kuroshoin (Inner Audience Chamber) and Shiroshoin (shōgun's living
quarters).
The main access to the Ninomaru is through the karamon, a court and the mi-kurumayose or
"honourable carriages approach". [1]

Honmaru Palace[edit]

Honmaru Palace

Honmaru Palace (本丸御殿 Honmaru Goten) has a surface area of 1,600 square meters (17,000

square feet). The complex has four parts: living quarters, reception and entertainment rooms,
entrance halls and kitchen area. The different areas are connected by corridors and courtyards. The
architectural style is late Edo period. The palace displays paintings by several famous masters, such
as Kanō Eigaku.
Honmaru Palace was originally similar to Ninomaru Palace. The original structures were replaced by
the present structures between 1893 and 1894, by moving one part of the former Katsura Palace
within the Kyoto Imperial Enclosure (Kyoto Gyoen, the enclosure surrounding the Kyoto Imperial
Palace) to the inner ward of Nijō Castle, as part of the systematic clearing of the disused residences
and palaces in the Imperial Enclosure after the Imperial Court moved to Tokyo in 1869. In its original
location the palace had 55 buildings, but only a small part was relocated. In 1928 the enthronement
banquet of the Shōwa Emperor(Emperor Hirohito) was held here. [3]

Gardens[edit]

The pond of the Ninomaru Garden

The Ninomaru Garden adjoining the Ninomaru Palace

The castle area has several gardens and groves of cherry and Japanese plum trees. The Ninomaru
garden was designed by the landscape architect and tea master Kobori Enshū. It is located between
the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large
pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.

The Seiryu-en Garden

The Seiryū-en garden is the most recent part of Nijō Castle. It was constructed in 1965 in the
northern part of the complex, as a facility for the reception of official guests of the city of Kyoto and
as a venue for cultural events. Seiryū-en has two tea houses and more than 1,000 carefully
arranged stones.
Nijo Castle is Kyoto's largest and best preserved castle. It consists of two fortifications
(kuruwa) in Japanese. The Ninomaru Palace, the main fortification of the castle, and the
ruins of the Honmaru Palace, the second fortification, as well as support buildings and
gardens. The castle is surrounded by stone walls and moats. 
The castle is especially popular with those interested in Japanese history. The founder of
the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, ordered all of Japan's fuedal lords to
construct the castle, which was completed in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, another castle
in Kyoto, including its main tower, were moved to Nijo Castle during the last year of its
construction. The castle served as the shogunate's residence during his visits to Kyoto. 
Today, the Ninomaru Palace is the main attraction of the castle. It is very well preserved,
and has intricately decorated ceilings, elegantly painted sliding doors, tatami (bamboo
mat) floors, and "nightengale floors," which squeak when walked on. The purpose of
those floors was to serve as an alert against intruders. The tour route guides visitors past
many of the rooms in the castle, and different types of rooms used for different guests of
the shogun are on display. Visitors to the shogun of high rank would sit with him in view
on a raised floor, surrounded by bodyguards. Other visitors were only allowed in
adjoining rooms where they could not even view the shogun directly. Along with these
receiving rooms, living quarters, servants' quarters, and office speace are also on the tour
route. Outside of the Ninomaru Palace is the Ninomaru Garden, which is a traditional
Japanese garden. 

Visitors entering the Nijo Castle Main Gate 

The Honmaru, the castle's main circle of defense, was the site of a five story castle keep
and of a second palace complex. They were destroyed by fire in the 18th century and
were not rebuilt. Eventually, the imperial residence in Kyoto was moved from another
site to Nijo Castle's Honmaru, where it remains today. This part of the palace is not
usually open to the public, but visitors may walk the grounds and climb to the former
castle keep, which has views of the castle grounds. 

Both the Ninomaru and the Honmaru are surrounded by greenery and walking paths, as
well as cherry trees and plum trees, maple, ginko, and other trees. In the spring, the
flowering trees surround the castle with pink blossoms, and in the fall, the foliage is
bright and beautiful. 

Nijo Castle is one of Kyoto's designated UNESCO World Heritage sits.

Descriere
Dincolo de fascinatia oferita de frumusetea gradinilor japoneze, este important de stiut ca
acestea sunt amenajate pe baza unor principii filosofice puternice. Se spune ca gradina
japoneza reprezinta legatura dintre natura si arta. Istoria gradinilor japoneze este lunga si
influentata de filosofiile Shionto, Taoista si Budista, care dau nota spirituala gradinilor
japoneze.

O importanta majora in evolutia gradinilor japoneze a fost data de contributia calugarilor

Zen. Aspectul meditativ este preluat din folosofia Budista, gradinile japoneze fiind adevarate
pansamente pentru cei care au nevoie de liniste, pentru cei care vor sa se regaseasca si sa
mediteze.
Gradina Japoneza Pano, Cowra

Intr-o gradina japoneza se gasesc intotdeauna: apa, plante, pietre, cascade, pomi si
podete. Gradinile japoneze nu sunt niste gradini in miniatura, precum se vehiculeaza si nici
nu sunt realizate dupa reguli geometrice stricte.

Gradinile japoneze, decorate in stil japonez, se gasesc atat in zonele private, cat si in
diverse cartiere sau in parcuri, precum si in locurile cu insemnatate istorica, precum vechile
castele, tempele budiste sau altarele Shinto. Gradinile japoneze pot sa fie uscate sau cu
lac, desi si in cele uscate se gasesc mici bazine sau fantani.
Torii - poarta Shinto

Intr-o gradina japoneza este reprezentat Universul. Elementele universului sunt redate intr-o
astfel de gradina prin diverse simboluri. Tocmai de aceea avem focul, reprezentat de stalpii
de piatra sau fier, pamantul este piatra, iar apa, aerul, plantele si animalele apar in forma lor
naturala.
Gradina japoneza

In gradinile japoneze nu se gasesc multe flori. Japonezii prefera sa priveasca gradinile

iarna, cand copacii nu au frunze. Florile nu se folosesc pentru a delimita aleile. Principiile
gradinii japoneze sunt destul de stricte cand vine vorba de folosirea florilor. Ele se pun intr-
un anumit loc special construit, tokonoma.

Conform filosofiei gradinilor japoneze, florile si plantele in general sunt expresii ale naturii si
nu se folosesc pe post de simple ornamente. Florile proaspete nu sunt folosite in
aranjamente florale si nici nu se poarta la nunti sau inmormantari.
gradina japoneza

Structura suport a gradinilor japoneze este formata din pietre, iar amenajarea acestora le
face sa para de parca ar fi dintotdeauna acolo. Pietrele cu colturi amintesc de zona
montana, iar cele fine se folosesc in albiile raurilor.

Tipuri de gradini japoneze

Pe langa gradinile uscate (Karesansui Gardens) si cele de deal (Tsukiyama), mai sunt si
gradinile japoneze de ceai (Chaniwa Gardens) sau chiar gradini care combina toate cele
trei tipuri de arhitectura.
Tsukiyama imbina mai toate elemente din natura, in gradinile Karesansui gasim peisaje
naturale, dar reprezentate abstract, acestea fiind de cele mai multe ori create pentru
meditatie.

Gradinile japoneze Chaniwa, construite special pentru ceremonia de ceai, au o casa de

ceai sau o terasa, un loc amenajat, cu felinare de piatra pe margine si tsukubai - bazinul de
piatra unde se purifica invitatii inainte de ceremonie.

Gradina japoneza - iarna

In gradinile japoneze, elementele care dau o nota aparte peisajului sunt incarcate de
simboluri. De pilda, cam in toate gradinile japoneze care au lac sau rau, se gaseste in
mijlocul acestuia o insula - "insula vietii vesnice" sau Nirvana - locul linistit, care uneori mai
e exprimat si printr-o piatra in forma de testoasa (simbolurile longevitatii) sau un copac
(simbolul unei vieti infloritoare).

ROJI - Aleea gradinii japoneze

Roji - aleea din gradina japoneza

Aleea gradinii japoneze (Roji) este locul pe unde se intra in gradina si semnifica punctul de
trecere pentru cel care calca pragul gradinii, detasand omul de problemele lumii din care a
venit. Pe alee se gasesc diverse puncte de atractie menite sa-l faca pe vizitator sa le
observe, sa se opreasca, acestea reprezentand perioadele meditative ale vietii.

Principii ale gradinilor japoneze

Gradinile Japoneze sunt amenajate in functie de unele principii care provin din filosofia
Zen. Acestea au diverse semnificatii:

Asimetrie – Fukinsei

Principiul acesta controleaza echilibrul. Gradinile japoneze au intotdeauna elemente

neregulate, precum ar fi stalpii de piatra, construiti in trei dimensiuni (cele trei dimensiuni
prin care este organizat spatiul: inaltime, latime si profunzime).

Subtilitate - Yugen

Acest principiu este in stransa legatura cu evitarea lucrurilor clare, facandu-se aluzii la
unele detalii ascunse, care sunt apoi descoperite de vizitatori. Aceste "secrete" se pot
ascunde in reflectiile din lac, pot fi regasite in jocul umbrelor sau pot fi sugerate de textura
pietrelor si a nisipului.

Naturalete - Shizen
In filosofia Zen, naturaletea este reprezentata de negarea naivului si a accidentalului,
Schizen referindu-se la arta, la absenta falsului si artificialului. Principiul respectiv tine de
naturaletea si spontanul regasite in modul in care gradina este aranjata.

Austeritate, maturitate - Koko

Acest principiu se manifesta prin aspectul ascetic care implica rigiditate si se refera la
trecerea timpului. Elementele vizuale folosite sunt cat mai simple.

Transcendenta – Datsuzoku

Acest principiu se refera la transcendenta ideilor conventionale si a celor traditionale,

Datsuzoku fiind in stransa legatura cu creativitatea maxima. Elementele utlizate astfel
in gradinile japoneze sunt acolo ca sa surprinda.

Liniste – Seijaku

Seijaku este principiul responsabil pentru senzatia de liniste oferita de gradinile japoneze.

Simplitate - Kanso 

Acest principiu se refera la eliminarea diferitelor ornamente, caci se considera ca lucrurile

simple sunt naturale, adevarate.
Stai la curte si vrei sa iti decorezi spatiul exterior intr-un stil mai
aparte? Afla cum sa iti amenajezi propria ta gradina japoneza.
Conform traditiei japoneze, gradina trebuie sa scoata in evidenta
universul si sa contina cele sase elemente ale acestuia: aerul,
apa, pamantul, focul, plantele si animalele. O gradina in stil asiatic
trebuie sa reproduca peisaje naturale in miniatura si sa fie o oaza
de liniste si relaxare pentru cei care o viziteaza.

Sursa foto: www.decoist.com 

Iata ce elemente de decor ar trebui sa se regaseasca intr-
o gradina japoneza: pietre de diferite forme, texturi si culori, apa
(iazuri, fantani), nisip si pietris, statui, lanternele de piatra (stalpii)
sau felinarele, un gardulet sau un pod, plante si arbori precum
ciresi, pruni, camelii, azalee, salcii, pini, animale cum ar fi broaste,
crapi, rate.
Daca vrei sa-ti amenajezi propria gradina japoneza, te poti
inspira din urmatoarele gradini care utilizeaza cele mai frecvente
elemente. 
Pietre, nisip si pietris
Inca din antichitate, pietrele au jucat un rol important in cultura
japoneza. In Shinto sau sintoism (religia traditionala a Japoniei),
pietrele proeminente sunt venerate deoarece intruchipeaza zeii
lor numiti "kami", in timp ce pietrisul a fost folosit pentru a
desemna motive sacre, asa cum se vede la unele temple antice,
cum ar fi Marele Altar Ise sau Sanctuarul Kamigamo din Kyoto.
 VEZI SI: Vrei să ai un covor de flori? Iată topul florilor de grădină

perene rezistente

In gradinile contemporane, pietrele mari simbolizeaza muntii si

dealurile, au accente decorative si servesc drept materiale de
constructie pentru poduri si alei. Pietrele mai mici sunt folosite la
amenajarea iazurior si a apelor curgatoare.
In schimb, exista si gradini uscate care sunt alcatuite in intregime
din pietre: cele de dimensiuni mari tin locul muntilor, insulelor si
cascadelor, in timp ce pietrisul si nisipul inlocuiesc apa.
Insulite si poduri
Insulele sunt un alt element caracteristic gradinilor japoneze.
Deseori reprezinta insule reale insa cateodata au doar un
simbolism religios, cum ar fi cele construite sub forma de broasca
testoasa sau cocor (simbol al longevitatii si sanatatii) ori care sa
semene cu Horai, un munte sacru mistic in taoism.
Podurile sunt folosite pentru a conecta insulele si apele
curgatoare sau iazurile. Sunt construite din pietre sau lemn,
finisate sau cu forme naturale.
Vegetatia din gradina japoneza
Intr-o gradina japoneza, poti gasi o gama variata de vegetatie:
arbori, arbusti, gazon si flori. De exemplu, artarii si ciresii sunt
alesi deseori pentru frumusetea lor din perioada infloritoare. In
schimb, pinii, bambusul si prunii sunt apreciati pentru aspectul
deosebit pe care il au in lunile de iarna. De asemenea, se
folosesc mai multe specii de muschi in amenajarea unei astfel de
gradini.
Vegetatia este un simbol al relatiilor interumane: de exemplu,
bambusul reprezinta prietenia, nuferii - puritatea spirituala, prunii
ornamentali - paradisul, iar pinii - forta caracterului.
Plantele sunt aranjate astfel incat sa imite natura si trebuie sa fie
ingrijite corespunzator. De exemplu, in timpul iernii japonezii
folosesc panza groasa de sac si cabluri pentru a izola si proteja
copacii si arbustii de inghet, iar metoda de infasurare cu paie
protejeaza impotriva infestarii cu insecte si paraziti. 
Iazuri, cascade si fantani
Iazurile reprezinta un element central in majoritatea gradinilor
japoneze si simbolizeaza lacuri sau mari reale ori mitice.
Cateodata, ele ofera un habitat pentru crapi (koi) care dau culoare
si viata gradinii. Intr-o gradina japonezatrebuie sa existe macar o
sursa de apa, fie ea doar o fantana sau un bazin.
In gradinile uscate, iazurile, paraiele si cascadele sunt
reprezentate de pietris greblat, nisip si pietre asezate in pozitie
verticala. Cei care dispun de un spatiu foarte mare sau
construiesc o gradina cu scop recreational, pot utiliza iazurile
pentru plimbari cu barca sau pentru amenajari de pavilioane
destinate relaxarii.
Felinarele sau stalpii din piatra, simbol al
focului
Felinarele sunt de obicei realizate din piatra si plasate in locatii
alese cu grija, cum ar fi pe insulite, pe alei sau langa cladiri
importante pentru a oferi lumina si un aspect estetic placut. 
Felinarele sunt deseori asociate cu bazine de apa deoarece,
impreuna, reprezinta o componenta de baza a gradinii de servit
ceaiul, specifica culturii japoneze.
Aleea, mai mult decat o cale de acces
Daca vrei sa iti amenajezi o gradina japoneza, nu trebuie sa uiti
de aleile construite din pietre, pietris si nisip. Scopul lor este sa-l
introduca pe vizitator in gradina, dar si sa separe diferite spatii,
cum ar fi o livada secreta sau un lac.

O gradina japoneza trebuie amenajata dupa anumite principii

care provin din filosofia zen: ea trebuie sa urmeze o asimetrie (sa
aiba elemente neregulate) si o transcendenta, sa fie un exemplu
de simplitate si naturalete, sa aiba elemente austere (obisnuite,
vechi) si subtile (reflectii din lac, textura pietrelor si nisipul, jocul
umbrelor) si, nu in ultimul rand, sa emane o senzatie de liniste.