Daimyo garden
Koraku-en is one of the most famous Japanese gardens, located in Okayama, Japan. A garden like this is called a daimyo (feudal lord) garden. In my understanding, the name “daimyo garden” does not refer to a style but a general term for the gardens that feudal lords in the Edo period (1603 – 1867) made […]
Harmony between a garden and a house
庭屋一如 (tei-oku-ichi-nyo) – This is the word expressing a harmonious condition of a garden and a house. I think that many Japanese garden designers consider it a fundamental principle. Traditionally, houses in Japan were designed to achieve comfort in hot summer. This kind of house is a post and beam structure. So, its’ facades can […]
Imperfection in Japanese gardens
“The flow of the river never ceases, and the water never stays the same…” This is the opening phrase of Hojoki, a famous Japanese essay by Kamono Chomei in the 13 century. Almost all Japanese children learn this in their schools. I think that transience is something that many Japanese hold in their minds, which […]
Cultivating Peace: How Japanese Gardens Foster Cross-Cultural Understanding
The world feels heavy with conflict right now, from the war in Ukraine to the ongoing struggles in Gaza. Amidst this tension, the concept of peace can seem distant. However, there are beautiful and unexpected ways to cultivate peace, and one such avenue lies in the art of Japanese garden design. The North American Japanese […]
Shishi-Odoshi as a garden element
Shishi-Odoshi, or scare-deer is a device to frighten deer away. It is a unique garden element that you can see in residential gardens in Japan now. As you see in the photo below, a bamboo tube is set like a seesaw. when the open cut side has water in, the bamboo tube flips. And then […]
