Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens are a personal favorite of mine, and I thought it would be interesting to share a bit of their history and some tips on how to appreciate their unique beauty in my notebook.

Western gardens, particularly those from Italy, France, and England, emphasize artificiality and symmetry. Their designs are often geometric and highly structured, reflecting the European nobility's preference for viewing gardens from elevated vantage points, such as terraces or balconies. This approach creates a grand, orderly aesthetic that can be appreciated from a bird’s-eye view.

In contrast, Eastern gardens, especially those from China, Korea, and Japan, evolved differently. Around 1400 years ago, nobility in these regions often engaged with their gardens by boating and composing poetry amidst the landscape. About 1200 years ago, Japanese gardens began to diverge significantly from their Chinese and Korean counterparts due to civil wars and religious influences, developing a unique aesthetic. This style embodies concepts such as 物哀 (the beauty of impermanence), 幽玄 (profound grace and subtlety), and 侘寂 (the beauty of simplicity and imperfection).

Japanese gardens aim to subtly mimic nature, creating a harmonious environment where stones, moss, and trees appear as if they have been placed by nature itself rather than by human hands. To truly appreciate a Japanese garden, one should walk slowly along the paths, pausing to reflect at designed viewpoints, and observe how the garden’s elements harmonize with each season and the changing light.

In this section, I will delve into the history of Japanese gardens, different types, and their elements using Chinese and Japanese language. The reason for this is that the Japanese gardening books I reference are mostly in these two languages, and I want to ensure the terms are accurately represented. I have tried using various translation tools, but the results are often inaccurate. I hope that future advancements in AI translation will allow for more precise translations, so that more people can learn about this type of garden. The books I reference are becoming rare, even in bookstores in Japan.