JAPANESE

ZEN GARDEN

-SITHI AYSHA Y
  16AR062
JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN:
Of the well-known styles of Japanese gardening, the dry
Today, Zen gardens are not only featured at
landscape is the most famous throughout the world.
historic Japanese temples, but are also often
constructed in residential properties around
- known by many other names such as rock garden, the world,it allows viewers to clear their
waterless stream garden, dry garden, karesansui, or kare- minds and move into a meditative state.
sansui

Intended to stimulate
meditation, these beautiful
gardens  strip nature to its
bare essentials and
primarily use sand and
rocks to bring out the
meaning of life.
HISTORY OF JAPANESE ZEN GARDEN:
Japanese In the 14th and 15th centuries, during the Muromachi period,
zen gardens came which was happening at the same time as the Italian
about with the rise of Renaissance, special gardens began to appear at Zen temples.
Zen Buddhism. Zen Particularly in Kyoto, which is still home to some of the most
philosophy was incredible Zen gardens in the world, monks began designing
introduced into Japan rock gardens that had esoteric meaning.
from China in the
12th century and
By stripping out water features and
became quite popular
using stones, they were making a
with samurais and
timeless landscape that was almost
warlords who
abstract in form. In China,
admired it for its
compositions made from stones were
focus on control and
already common, but this usage
self-discipline.
in Japan was revolutionary at the
time.
Historically, there are four historic phases associated with the development of the rock gardens we see
today.

• The first, lost in the prehistoric past, involved the veneration of large boulders or rocky areas believed
to be the dwelling of gods and natural spirits in Shinto religious beliefs.

• The second phase emerged during the Nara Period (710-794) and the Heian Period (794-1185) in
which dry garden arrangements appeared, infrequently, as an adjoining segment of a pond garden.

• The third major development occurred in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) when dry garden designs
took an equally valued position with the pond garden they accompanied.

• Finally, in the fourth state during the Muromachi Period (1338-1568), the kare-sansui style emerged as
an independent garden divorced from dependence on accompanying pond gardens.
What does the elements in zen garden represent?
A Zen garden is designed with
Water was represented carefully raking the sand a realistic setting on a smaller
into wavelike patterns, while the garden was scale and creates an
often designed to be viewed from one environment where one can
perspective on a platform. The white sand attain mindfulness and
doesn’t only represent water, but also provides enlightenment. Zen gardens
negative space in the composition and therefore prompt a quiet emotional
emptiness. response that depends on the
atmosphere created by the
The rocks are used to represent different display of elements. Each
elements of a typical landscape—islands, element has a symbolic
mountains, trees, and animals. Arranged in a purpose for being in the
balanced (but not symmetrical) fashion, and garden and a design method
often in groups of threes, the seeming simplicity for achieving that symbolic
of a Japanese rock garden reveals complex ideas purpose.
through meditation.
Mimicking Water With Rocks
Among the elements The first of which is the The second is the kare- Finally, we have
arranged in the garden, karenagare, daki, or 'dry the kareike, or
rocks play a significant or 'dry stream', created waterfall', composed of 'dry pond', placing rocks
role. In the Ryoan-ji with gravel and larger carefully selected rocks as a shoreline
Temple's garden, stones to invoke the whose color, texture, or surrounding an expanse
fifteen rocks are sense of flowing water. striation patterns of raked sand or gravel,
arranged so that remind observers of sometimes with stone
viewers can only see cascading water. 'islands' in the middle.
fourteen of them at any
time from any angle.
When individual rocks
are not the sole focus,
they are usually
arranged into three
symbolic patterns.  
Patterns in the Sand
The most impressive aspect of the Light-colored
Japanese rock garden, however, particles also
remains the carefully raked and allow the patterns
arranged patterns of sand or fine to emerge from
gravel. Unlike the larger stone the moonlight. For
arrangements that tend to remain Zen monks, the
in place for years, the raked raking of patterns
patterns of small particles only into sand
last a few weeks at most.  and gravel, a task
require intense
concentration, offe
rs a form of
 Rain, wind, and other natural forces erode and disrupt meditation in
the carefully shaped patterns. These patterns add motion.
texture to the garden and play with the shifting light
and shadow to enhance their effects throughout the
day.
ELEMENTS OF JAPANESE ZEN GARDENS:
1. Rock and Stones
 Each element holds an individual symbolic content. This is
2. Sand
why it is not enough to understand the garden itself as simply
3. Water
a combination of the parts. The aesthetic principles are
4. Waterfall
embedded in the spiritual and intellectual experience. The
5. Plant
specific organization of the garden space within its natural
6. Bridge
environment contributes to a different aura for each garden.
7. Stepping stones and Garden paths
In this way, the particular implementation of the elements
8. Shishi odoshi
contributes to a unique experience for each visitor.
9. Stone water basins
10. Stone lantern
11. Fence and walls
Each of these elements are made from natural materials, that is, if they do not already exist in their pure form.
For example, although the stone lantern is a man- made element, its raw material is stone. In this way,
everything from the pond to the bridge is an example of the intrinsic connection between nature and the
Japanese connection between nature and the Japanese garden as well as between architecture and as well as
between architecture and the garden.
1. Rock and Stones: Ishi 
Rocks and stones, like water, are one of the fundamental elements of
 Japanese gardens.Often Japanese aesthetic sensibility has penetrated the
choices and arrangements of rocks and stones.
Although there are stones that serve as the material for other features, such
as paths, bridges, and walls, each stone is in itself its own element. The
placement of each individual stone is determined by their unique shape and
form; some lay shape and form; some lay horizontally while others stand
vertically. In this way, asymmetry in stone arrangement is common to the
Japanese garden. Stones are rarely presented in the garden alone. They are
grouped together in two to five stones of diverse forms. As you can see on
the image to the right, there is a tendency to juxtapose large massive stones
with flat long stones. The dynamic tension caused by polar shapes break the
monotony of the monolithic and monochromatic stones.This organization
also creates a balanced image.
2. Sand: Suna
Raked sand has been a garden element of many gardens from ancient times.
The early shrines of Shinto, Japan's native religion, had been in forest
clearings, where the ground was  purified to protect the animistic spirit with
a layer of washed sand. The tradition was embodied in the form of a simple
rectangle of white sand among architectural structures. It also occurred in
 broad expanses of white sand located in front of important palace
buildings, including the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. In the Heian Period, the
area between the main hall of a residence and the pond to the south was
often covered with white sand in aristocratic houses. The sacred
representation of white sand was probably preserved in the minds of garden
designers of the medieval time. However, designers of Zen gardens
substituted sand for water instead of conveying the sacred representation.
The sand came to simulate rivers, seas, or streams to be used for a subject
as meditation and contemplation. The raking of the sand was intended to
suggest waves or currents.
3. Water: Mizu 
Water is often thought of as a source of purification and refreshment. The use of water in Japanese gardens
emphasizes these general associations. Ponds and streams have been essential design elements in Japanese
gardens from earliest history.The pond is a fundamental element in Japanese gardens. As a body of water, it
represents the sea, lake, pond or river in nature. This is why they are not geometrical in appearance; in
order to preserve the natural shapes, man- made ponds are asymmetrical. The bank of the pond is usually
bordered by stones. In the aristocratic gardens of the Nara (710-794) and Heian periods (710-1192), the
pond for boating was an important component, generally located to the south of a main hall. It was the
place of splendid parties and dramatic events. However, concerns about the pond and stream were changed
from their practical use to symbolic meaning. The large ponds eventually came to be considered as
representations of mythical or esoteric lakes and seas, or paradises in the view point of Taoists or
Buddhists.

Finally, in Zen gardens, living water is not present. Sand, rocks, and moss replicate lakes, streams, and
sometimes waterfalls, in what came to be known as kare sansui, or dry landscape garden. 
 4. Waterfall: Taki
The waterfall has philosophical implications. Like the river, it is always changing but its essence is the same.
This nature of a waterfall symbolizes perfectly the permanent impermanence of the universe as preached in
Buddhist and Taoists thought. The waterfall plays an important role in Chinese and Japanese landscape
paintings in the context that the art form directly inspired the aesthetic sensibility of many Japanese garden
designs. Many Japanese gardens include one or more waterfalls among their design elements. Sometimes
these waterfalls use real water for streams or ponds, but in Zen gardens they are often dry cascades where
rocks suggest the fall of water. Both types exist in various forms. Some cascades are single-step cascades
while in others water falls through the various levels of rock. In the former, tall and vertical rocks frame the
waterfall and a single stone breaks it at the bottom of the composition. This single stone divides and spreads
the water at the point that it enters the  pond or stream. That adds interest to the cascade, and represents a
symbolic object, the carp that attempts to swim upstream, which is a common Chinese metaphor to mean the
individual hope for a higher existence or spiritual enlightenment. The term ryumon-baku, which means
dragon gate waterfall in Japanese, was made to indicate this design type of a cascade  .
5. Plant: Ki and Hana
Trees and plants give the Japanese garden its unique character.
While the European garden is colorful and diverse with its
trees, bushes and flowers the Japanese garden is predominately
green with its almost exclusive use of evergreen trees. When
flowering trees are found in the Japanese garden they are
usually camelias, specifically the tsubaki and sazanka. A Zen
garden symbolizes nature, where floral arrangements are
uncommon. Plants are used very carefully to bring a subtle and
profound  beauty to these gardens.Especially pine, moss, and
azalea have been planted widely in Japanese Zen gardens. Pine
trees are highly respected because they help enlighten monks
on permanent truth through the evergreen leaves in contrast to
the ever-changing nature of human life. While Pine trees
represent the philosophical and spiritual aspect, moss and
azalea plants are used to represent the appearance of nature.
6. Bridge: Hashi
The bridge is both a functional and ornamental addition to the garden. Bridges
that cross over sand are not functional. It is exclusively an ornamental device used
to promote spiritual and intellectual meditation. The stone bridge is usually
elevated on either ends by a pair of stones, or hashibasami- noishi. These are
erected in order to emphasis the strength of the monolithic stones. As you can see,
bridges come in various forms and styles. The materials used vary from worked
and unworked stones to different types of wood. In addition, when gardens have
multiple bridges, repetition is avoided in order to produce variety in aesthetic
experience.Also, the bridges in Zen gardens are given a symbolic meaning, which
represent a transitional pathway from the world of man to the larger world of
nature-nirvana. In Pure Land gardens, the islands were often designed to suggest
the paradise of Amida. Therefore, the bridges connecting those islands to the
shore could be interpreted as symbolizing the passage between this world and
Amida. This symbolic representation of bridges in Pure Land gardens influenced
and was applied to Zen gardens. The bridge can represent the  journey toward
enlightenment in a Zen context.
7. Stepping stones and Garden paths
The stepping stones (tobi- ishi), like many other elements, derive from the tea
ceremony but has become a prevalent feature in other garden types. Originally,
it was created so that visitors would not have to walk over the mossy ground.
In this way, the flat stepping stones served to preserve the grass as well as
orient the viewer to a specific visual experience. Stepping stones are placed in
varying intervals. Although they create irregular paths in various patterns, the
placement of the stones are calculated and precise. These step- stones are found
near the veranda or entrance of the house or tea room. Some stones remain
unworked while others are worked in order to create long rectangular blocks.
Such worked stones are used in certain garden paths in order to break the
monotony of the aesthetic experience. For example, there are usually two
rectangular stones that are parallel to each other (Tanzaku) which appears in
the middle of a path. The juxtaposition of natural and artifical stones
underscore the process of garden design: the gardener inserts artifical elements
within the natural environment.
8. Shishi odoshi
The shishi odoshi was originally used by farmers to scare off
deer and boar. Now it is used as a design element. It consists of
striker balanced between wooden supports on a pivot, water is
fed from a bamboo from the top.

9. Stone water basins

There are two kinds of stone water basins. One is ornamental,
kazari- chozubachi, which is kept near the verandah while the
other is for the tea garden, called tsukubai. There is an area left
in the middle, or the hollow, which is where the water is
disposed. This area is covered by smaller rocks rocks and
pebbles. Although originally meant for the tea ceremonies,
these basins are used in other gardens as well. The second type
of stone water basin is raised..The stone water basins are made
of natural or lightly worked stones.
10. Stone lantern
A stone lantern is usually near the stone water basin,
contributing to the overall aesthetic effect of the
 Japanese ga rden. During the tea ceremonies of the
Momoyama period, temple dedication lanterns were
used to provide a dim light. The subtle luminescence of
the lantern underscored the unfinished beauty of the tea
aesthetic. It is from this ritual that the stone lantern
emerged in other Japanese gardens.The shape of
the stone lantern is not standardized. However, the
original dedication lanterns had 6 major parts: 
1. Kurin (Ornamental Top) 
2. Kasa (Cap) 
3. Hibukuro (Light Chamber) 
4. Chudai (Middle Stand) 
5. Sao (Post) 
6. Jirin (Base)
11. Fence and walls
There are three types of fences: the short fence which extends from the
house into the garden, an inner fence and an outer fence. The outer fence is
the first type you see as you approach the garden. These fences are think in
order to be an outer wall. The color of the fences are different. In this way
the fence itself acts as an essential factor in garden design. Not only as a
colorful backdrop to the plants and flowers that you see with it, the fence
also adds texture and patterns. The way in which they are assembled does
not block the garden off from its surroundings. The branches are assembled
diagonally and then held in place with long horizontal branches.The fences
within the garden are not as thick. Such fences emphasize lightness and act
as partitions. The materials often used are bamboo, wood and twigs of
bamboo or tree. The short fences, or the sodegaki, are screens that allow the
gardener to hide unwanted views or objects. They are about 6 or 7 feet high.
The sodegaki are made of wood or bamboo and thus, like the other fences,
add color and texture to the garden.
Examples of Japanese Zen Garden:
Kyoto remains home to the world’s best Zen
Kyoto’s Japanese Rock Gardens gardens, as the phenomenon began in the city’s
Zen Buddhist temples. 
RYOAN-JI
TENRYU-JI
Considered one of the world's most beautiful
This garden, which was built in the 14th century,
gardens, Ryoan-ji is the pinnacle of Zen garden
shows a transition into the dry landscape we associate
design. The garden is a 2,670-square-foot rectangle
with Zen gardens. A reflecting pond in the background
filled with white sand and 15 stones arranged in
is contrasted with a waterfall made from stone and
five groups of three. A trace of moss around each
boulders.
stone is the only sign of vegetation.
DAITOKU-JI
This walled temple complex actually holds 22 sub-temples, many of which
feature memorable Zen gardens. In particular, the rock garden at Daisen-in is
heralded for its beautiful arrangement. Scholars believe that it may be a metaphor
for a journey through life. It begins with a stone waterfall, symbolizing birth, and
ends with a raked symbolic river flowing into the open “ocean,” symbolizing
death.

GINKAKU-JI
Also known as the Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji is known for its
incredible landscaping. Carried about by Japanese painter and
landscape artist Sōami, Ginkaku-ji differs from other temples in that it
was constructed as a shogun’s retreat, rather than for use by monks—
it was converted into a temple after his death. A highlight is the
temple’s raked sand gardens and cones, one of which is 6.5 feet tall.
This cone, in particular, is thought to symbolize Mount Fuji.
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