JAPANESE GARDEN

By – Ganpati Prasad Gupta

B. Planning, Sem-V
 INTRODUCTION
◦ Japan, an island nation, consists of mountains and
oceans. These ever-present mountains and oceans
are reduced to two of the primary and enduring
components of the Japanese Garden — rocks and
water.
◦ In traditional Japanese gardens these elements has
been created in miniature forms, often in a highly
abstract and stylized way.
◦ Nature is the ideal in Japanese gardens. They
idealize it, even symbolize it, but never create
something that nature itself cannot.
◦ A traditional garden will usually have an irregular-
shaped pond, or, in larger gardens, two or more
ponds connected by a channel or stream, and a
cascade, a miniature version of Japan's famous
mountain waterfalls.
 HISTORY
◦ The idea of these unique gardens began
during the Asuka period.
◦ Inspired by Chinese landscape gardens.
◦ Japanese gardens first appeared on the
island of Honshu.
◦ Japanese gardens have their roots in
Japanese religion of Shinto.
◦ Earlier gardens were designed in order to
bring a spiritual sense to the gardens and
make them places where people could
spend their time in a peaceful way and
meditate
TIMELINE
Gardens of the Heian period (794–1185)

Kamakura and Muromachi Periods (1185–1573) Garden of Heian Period

The Momoyama Period (1568–1600)

Garden of Kamakura &
Muromachi Periods
Edo Period (1615–1867)

Meiji Period (1868–1912)

Modern Japanese gardens (1912 to present) Garden of Momoyama Period

Today, in many parts of Japan and the

western part of the world the traditions of
Japanese garden art still maintain their Garden of Edo Period
full intensity of expression and continue
to inspire the many artists that aspire to
create a personal Japanese garden of
their own. Garden of Meiji Period
 CLASSIFICATION
1. “Walking Garden”. The former category meant to be experienced by entering and
walking in them. It includes stroll gardens, Pure Land Jodo gardens, and tea gardens.
2. “Visual Gardens” meant to be experienced mainly with the eyes and the mind. It was
designed for contemplation and meditation and include the karesansui or dry-
mountain-water gardens(ren gardens), and nakaniwa interior courtyard gardens.
One of the best examples of this is the abbot’s rock garden at Ryoan-ji temple.

Ryoan-ji Temple (Visual Garden) Japanese Tea Garden, California

(Walking Garden)
 ELEMENTS
◦ Japanese garden has been designated as a place of peacefulness. Buddhism
teaches us to be peaceful and this doctrine gives us a clear view of how
decorative and calm. Zen garden could be just by using sand or gravel.
◦ These two elements represent the water. And when you take a look at one of
these types of gardens you find peace there.
◦ There are other important elements that represent various things we find in our
nature, they are water, sand, gravel, stone, rock, island, hills, teahouse, bridge,
stream, fishes, strolling path, stone-lantern, bamboo pipe, moss, flowers, pond,
trees, statues, gates, water basin, and garden fences. Every element has
different meanings and they symbolize many important things.
◦ Water or pond is seen to be one of the vital elements of Japanese garden
except Zen gardens. Whereas sand or gravel of a rock and zen garden’s
represents water, clouds and purity.
◦ Japanese reflect artistic feelings. Small ponds represent the ocean or sea while
fishes are used as part of decorative element. Stone Lantern and Basin in a
Japanese Garden, Kyoto.
◦ A stone lantern represents the four natural elements: fire, water, earth and wind.
VARIOUS JAPANESE GARDEN
◦ Japanese Tea Garden, California
◦ Korakuen (Stroll Garden)
◦ Kairakuen (Landscape Garden)
◦ Kenrokuen (Stroll, Tea and Landscape Garden)
◦ Ryoan-ji temple (Zen Garden)
◦ Suizenji Koen (Stroll Garden)
Japanese Tea Garden,
California
◦ Saiho-ji temple (Moss Garden)

Saiho-ji temple (Moss Garden) Kairakuen (Landscape Garden) Korakuen (Stroll Garden)
 VEGETATION OF MUGHAL GARDENS
◦ Japanese gardening is based on capturing the beauty of nature.
◦ In nature, evergreen trees grow under deciduous trees. Evergreen trees grows gradually. Eventually,
forests become evergreen forests. This means deciduous trees finish the life under evergreen trees.
This is the nature forest transition in Japan.
◦ Of course, in transition, some evergreen trees become taller than deciduous. In the garden, some
evergreen trees may taller than deciduous trees.
◦ In Japanese gardens, green is more important than flower. Some of them are evergreen, soume of them are
deciduous. In autumn, deciduous trees change their leave color. That is absolutely beautiful.
• Various kind of maples are planted in Japanese garden. They are usually deciduous and autumn foliage is magnificent.
• Pine trees are striking characteristic in Japanese garden.
• Japanese Zelkova is beautiful in spring and autumn.
◦ Some flower trees are planted. Basicaly, they are showy naturally, some cultivars or double-flower are ocassionaly
planted though.
◦ Some distinctive or showy shrubs are planted.
◦ There are many species mosses in Japan. Japan is a humid country and ideal envoirment for mosses. In gardens,
mosses are commonly planted instead of grasses. Even though gardeners don't plant mosses, they grow in native.
THANK YOU!!