Japanese+Landscape+Gardens

=Japanese Landscape Gardens= by Cassandra Ferrara and Gianna Rocchio

Key Terms

 * tsukubai: water basins
 * shakkei: borrowed view
 * toro: Japanese lantern
 * tobi ishi: stepping stones
 * machi-ai: waiting place

About

 * blend elements such as sand, rocks, water, ornaments (lanterns, bamboo fences, tsukubai)
 * symbolic expression such as Shinto beliefs and religious Buddhism
 * 3 basic principles:
 * 1) reduced scale
 * 2) symbolization
 * 3) shakkei

1. Reduced scale

 * represent famous scenes and places in small spaces
 * example: mountains and rivers represented with rocks, gravel, sand, and water

2. Symbolization

 * sand and gravel symbolize a river
 * group of stones symbolize islands

3. Borrowed view

 * use of existing scenery and plants to complement the garden
 * pre-existing plants become part of the whole design

Origin and History
 o China began trade with Japan, thus changing Japanese culture. This affected the gardens, as they became more elaborate  o Elements of gardens of this time include animals such as birds and fish for a feeling of movement  o These gardens were used for parties and feasts  o Those able to afford them used a traditional Japanese style and custom to create  o Elegant mix of Chinese customs and Japanese style known as Shinden  o Layout of these gardens relied on myths and legends (Example: streams in the garden ran from east to west because in ancient Chinese folklore, the east was the source of purity and the west was the outlet for impurities)  o Little change in Shinden style until this period  o Zen Buddhist priests created gardens for meditation, not entertainment  o Minimalist style  o Included stones, water, and evergreens  o Gardens were created in the style of popular monochrome landscape paintings  o Only used stones in gardens that were specifically picked as metaphors for objects in nature  o Flat Gardens (Hira-niwa) developed  o Gardens became vibrant and intricate again  o Elements of these gardens include waterfalls, hills, miscellaneous plants <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> o Zen tradition still lived on in Sez gardens <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> o Walking Gardens are developed and were meant to be aesthetically pleasing from all angles <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> o Wide variety ranging from minimalist Zen to vibrant Shinden <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> o Found all over the world
 * Dates back to 529 CE, during the reign of Empress Suiko.
 * Gardens were very developed at this time, suggesting that they may have been developed previously
 * Elements of early gardens include artificial hills, ornamental pools and some common features of the modern gardens
 * ===Gardens of the Nara Period (646-794)===
 * ===Heian Period Gardens (794-1185)===
 * ===Kamakura Period (1185-1392)===
 * ===Muromachi and Higashiyama Periods (1392-1573)===
 * ===Momoyama Period (1573-1603)===
 * ===Modern Gardens===

1. Karesansui: "waterless rock and sand garden"

 * first appeared in Muromachi period (1333 - 1568)
 * influenced by Zen Buddhist doctrine
 * elements: limited plant life, moss, raked gravel (stream), groups of stones
 * famous example: Ryoanji in Kyoto





2. Cha Niwa or Roji: "tea garden"

 * actually not used for drinking tea in
 * small, enclosed garden usually part of larger garden
 * used as passage to tea house (tea ceremony)
 * since it symbolizes passage from outside world (nature) to inner world, it is important that the garden invokes feelings of peace before the ceremony
 * elements: toro, tsukubai, tobi ishi, machi-ai
 * famous example: stand-alone tea garden Kimura-En in Kashiwasaki in province of Niigata





3. Tsubo Niwa: "courtyard garden"

 * small garden
 * origin: 15th century in Japan's booming economy
 * many merchants lived in a large house with several storage buildings around
 * first courtyard gardens found in open spaces between house and storage unit
 * design principles of traditional courtyard garden adaptable to modern life (roofs and terraces)
 * elements: similar to tea garden except for the use of plants that thrive in the shade



4. Strolling Gardens

 * A. Tsukiyama**
 * large gardens
 * existing landscapes are miniaturized / created landscapes




 * B. Kaiyu - Shikien**
 * pleasure garden
 * built during Edo period (not around today)
 * most are now public parks



http://japaneseteagardensf.com/index.php
 * Japanese Tea Gardens San Francisco, California**
 * Located in San Francisco, California, this tranquil tea garden created in 1894 to give visitors the opportunity to take part in the historical Japanese cultural experience of the tea garden. This site gives information not only on the tea garden in California, but also on tea gardens as a whole.

http://learn.bowdoin.edu/japanesegardens/gardens/ryoan/ryoan-ji.html
 * Ryoan-ji Garden (The Dry Garden)**
 * This site gives an interactive look at the famous Ryoan-ji Garden in Kyoto, Japan. It gives a history of Japanese gardens and also this specific garden located in an old temple. This site cites all of its sources and is quite reliable.


 * Bibliography**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;">"The Art of Japan: Gardens: History." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. < http://library.thinkquest.org/27458/nf/gardens/history.html >. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;">"Japanese Gardens." About Japanese Gardens. Japanese Tuin Ontwerp. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. < http://www.aboutjapanesegardens.org/ >.