| Japanese garden design is about as hard to | | | | are scarce or nonexistent in Japanese garden design. |
| understand to Westerners as the Japanese language | | | | Rather, dry gravel streambed or sand swept into |
| is. The relationship to the rich and ancient eastern | | | | patterns and large rocks and boulders are used to tell |
| culture adds to this difficulty. The practice is not just | | | | the tales. Remember that the heart of all Japanese |
| a style of landscaping. Rather, it a statement that | | | | garden design is symbolism and storytelling, the |
| delivers a specific meaning. Adding further to its | | | | tradition is that this is done with plants and other |
| complexity is the influence of fengshui and its | | | | elements of nature and not so much the use of |
| borrowings from Buddhism and Chinese culture. | | | | colorful flowers. |
| The intention of Japanese garden design is to use | | | | Equally important to Japanese garden design are the |
| nature to make a statement. The main element is | | | | use of water, and more specifically the use of |
| symbology, most of which is influenced by Shintoism | | | | running water, which symbolizes passing time or life. |
| and Buddhism, which is where the gods inhabit nature. | | | | What shouldn't get lost in Japanese garden design, |
| This adds even more its cultural complexity making | | | | but often is by Westerners because they think it's |
| hard for us to understand. | | | | 'complicated', is its simplicity. Once you know the |
| Since the garden is making a statement or telling a | | | | story you are trying tell, it's as simple as composing |
| story, the first step is to determine what story you | | | | the elements of nature to tell that story. |
| want to tell. What is it you want to communicate to | | | | What one should refrain from doing is blindly copying |
| the world with your garden? It might be a good idea | | | | someone else's garden. Why would you do that? |
| to decide in broad terms what you want to say, and | | | | Perhaps because you think it "looks" good. But if the |
| then through some research find out how Japanese | | | | "good looks" are just the result of the telling of a |
| would go about communicating that truth, concept or | | | | story, then the copier certainly is missing the point. It |
| story with a garden. | | | | would be like framing a poem you don't understand |
| Another outstanding feature of Japanese garden | | | | and hanging it on the wall. First think of what you |
| design is that the main point is not to be beautiful or | | | | want to say, and then through the principles of |
| showy. The appearance of the garden is not its | | | | Japanese garden design learn how to say and then |
| purpose, but rather the message is the purpose. | | | | say it. Don't start from the beauty, but rather from |
| Beauty is the after thought, so to speak. | | | | the story. |
| The careful observer will notice that flowering plants | | | | |