Japanese Garden and Harmony Period

The first landscape garden in Japan was built in front of the imperial palace, near Nara, in 612 A.D. This is recorded in the ancient chronicle called the Nihongi. The garden was constructed by a Korean artisan who, like others of his kind, had been brought to Japan to teach the arts and crafts of China. Korea was then an outpost of Chinese civilization, but Japan was just beginning to adopt and absorb its arts.

All Japanese s e garden plants a r e native s of the land, of course . And since the climate is mild, broad-leaved evergreens predominate among them and among the tree s and shrub s of the gardens. These and the much-favored pines prevent the garden from being seasonal, so it looks well at all times. Indeed, in winter under a light fall of snow, gardens are considered especially beautiful, for the ”snow flowers” are thought of as part of the cycle of bloom.

Basic among such things o.re ways in which integration of indoors with outdoors c un be bettor achieved. As a concept such integration has only recently come to American thinking , but it is old in Japan. Their residence gardens have long served practically as murals for the main rooms. Some appreciation of stone s is also penetrating into American garden artistry and more of it can be expected. It may be in such fields as that of the related arts that various peoples will reach through to a better realization of world harmony.

1. GARDEN AT ACHI SHRINE (Tempyo Period, 710-794) Kurashiki .
2. GARDEN AT ONJOJI (Hakuho Period, 646-71.0) Otsu.
3. OZAWA POND AND GARDEN (Heian Period, 794-1185) Daikakuji, at Sagano, Kyoto.
4. SHOSEI-EN (Heian Period, 794-1185) Kyoto.
5. ROKUONJI GARDEN (KINKAKUJI) (Kamakura Period, 1185-1392), Kyoto.
6. GARDEN AT TENHWJI (Kamakura Period, 1185-1392) Arashiyama , Kyoto.
7. GAHDEN AT SAIHOJI (Kamakura Period, 1185-1392 ), Kyoto.
8. GARDEN OF THE OGWA FAMILY (Muromachi Period, 1392-1568 ), Ezu.
9. GARDEN AT JOEIJI (Muromachi Period, 1392- 1568), Yamaguchi.
10. GARDEN AT KAMEISHIBO (Muromachi Period, 1392-1568 ), Fukuoka.
11. GARDEN AT MANPUKUJI (Muromachi Period, 1392-1568), Iwami.
12. GARDEN AT RYUANJI (Muromachi Period, 1392-1568), Kyoto.