Japanese Courtyard Gardens

Japanese courtyard gardens transform small waste spaces into spots of exquisite beauty. Japanese Courtyard Gardens presents photographs of almost 100 courtyard gardens, both traditional and modern, public and private. This slim volume begins with a short foreward (quoted below) by master landscape gardener Tadakazu Saito. Then the gardens are shown in Haruzo Ohashi's full color photos on pages unmarred by text. After the photographs, a short paragraph describes each garden. Finally the book contains an appendix with some diagrams of Japanese courtyard garden design.

This is a lovely little book for someone, like me, having the twin passions of gardening and things Japanese. It has, in fact, inspired me to tear out a portion of my asphalt driveway and create my own courtyard garden entryway. More on that in an upcoming report in Zanthan Gardens.

In the Heian Era, the small area surrounded by buildings, passageways, fences, etc. had been called a tsubo, and grass, flowers and trees were planted there for the pleasure of viewing.

The tsubo area of a trader's house was a very bad place to have a garden, because of the shade and poor irrigation. And rain water from the roof concentrated on the tsubo. The ground was always wet and foul, which made it difficult to grow plants.

Garden # 40 Shogon-ji (Kyoto)

This is the Shogon-ji courtyard garden inside the Tenryu-ji. (Shogon-ji is one of the priest's residences in the Tenryu-ji temple.) It is about 6.6 square meters in size, and like most of these gardens built inside the temple, it is in the Karesansui form. It is easy to take care of, and exemplifies the Zen concept of meditation. The design with only two scenic stones is sharp and severe.

Garden # 65 Mr. Tanaka's Private Residence (Kyoto)

A courtyard garden at the entrance: the style of the water basin seen through the grating is the focal point. The arrangement of the hexagon lantern, the undergrowth of shaved grass, and the pond with a small waterfall (Mizuochiumi), is excellent. Also the flagstones of granite on the opposite side are grouped with a sure touch. This is a delicate garden.

Garden # 54 Sagano (Fukuoka)

Simplicity is the keynote of this garden which occupies an area of about 23.1 square meters. It is systematically designed with consideration given the siting of the Oribe lantern on the left with its exquisite patterns, the carefully placed plants and stepping stones. It is especially beautiful, and the use of the tall Moso bamboo, growing high within the Chiriana Kazari (dust hole ornament) creates a sense of mystery.

This photo shows another view of the...garden. The combination of the stone bowl stgepping stone at the center and the water basin in the rear is a very harmonious view. In the coin-shaped water basin is the inscription "know thyself" which enjoins us to know the limitations and essence of ourselves. This is in Ryuan-ji.

Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
September 22, 2002

Comments

I am Argentinean but I have been living in Japan for 8 years. I work at Nagasaki University. In about one year I will be going back to my country and I want to make my own little Japanese courtyard garden.

Could you please suggest me places/houses I could visit in Nagasaki or Fukuoka?

On the other hand, I would love to take with me a little plant of the sakura from Kyoto (weeping sakura). Could you inform me about gardening shops that this winter could prepare a couple of plants for me?

Comment by: Carime Parquet. Posted November 14, 2002 11:03 PM.

I am currently writing a book on natural, authentic Feng Shui and really, really love the beautiful gardens. I would like to know if I may have permission to use some of the photos, and what type of credits and to whom should they be given, if possible. They're great!

Comment by: Melissa Kushi. Posted February 24, 2003 08:51 PM.

Your article is the most useful I have read after 1hour on the internet. Is it suitable to incorporate a Japanese garden to my entrance where we have existing palm trees?

Comment by: Grace. Posted January 27, 2007 08:20 PM.

Wow, I am doing a project on different japanese gardens, and this site is amazing with all the pics and stuff! Keep up the good work! :)

Comment by: Kayla. Posted June 7, 2007 06:40 PM.

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