Japanese gardens (日本庭園) in traditional Japanese style can often be found at residential homes, in urban neighborhood or other city parks, and at
historic landmarks such as many Buddhist shrines and ancient palaces.
Japanese gardens were formed under the cultural influences of the stylized Chinese traditional gardens. One of the major interests for the
historic establishment of the traditional Japanese garden, bonsai, bonseki and significantly related fine arts is Zen monk Kokan Shiren and his article
Rhymeprose on a beautiful Miniature Landscape Garden.
There actually are several basic principles that individual needs to follow to successfully capture the atmosphere of the Japanese traditional
garden. Most importantly, life is the value that you must make every effort for. You can romanticize it, improve it, but you never should build something that life
itself can not.
As a good example, you would never see in the nature a rectangle pond, therefore do not create such one in your own garden.
You may of course benefit from a beautiful waterfall, but not a certain fountain. Another aspect to keep in mind is proportion.
You really are every time trying to construct a great landscape even in the tiniest of available spaces. While that 9 ton boulder looks good at home in the 6 acre
garden, what impression does it have on a small courtyard? It would rather have all the charm and refinement of a beautiful horse in a closet. Select your parts thoroughly.
Stones can also represent entire mountains, ponds become lakes. A little stretch of raked sand can turn into an whole ocean.
The famous phrase "Less is more" was of course originally said by a beautiful garden designer.
Another important key aspect to consider is the conception of wabi and sabi. As many other Japanese expressions, there is no specific meaning.
Wabi can refer to something 'one of a sort', or the feeling of something; the most accurate plain translation is 'isolated'. Sabi characterizes time or the principle
image of something; the most exact definition should be patina. A huge stone can also be mature and covered with lichens, but if it really is only a circle boulder it
also has no wabi. We must make every effort to get hold of that sense of balance.
Another important concept present in every Japanese traditional garden is enclosure. As we wrote down, the garden is turn into a microcosm of
pure life. For the garden to be a real urban retreat, we must separate it from the exterior world. As soon as it is enclosed, we have to define a way
(and a state of mind) to come in and pass on this microcosm. Barriers and gate are as essential to the Japanese traditional garden as lanterns and other maples.
If we also have done our paramount to demonstrate the feeling of the traditional Japanese garden, then adherence to 1000 year old habits will
have minor significance one important way or another. It would indeed be irrational as modern westerners to make an effort and build a popular Buddhist garden.
We may memorize the correct stone arrangements, but this way is not used any more in Japan, have alone in the States, because it | is deficient in sense for us in the present times.
More information can be found:
Portland Japanese Garden
Includes information about the gardens, hours, admissions, and photo gallery.
Japanese garden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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