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O gradina japoneza este reprezentarea universului si a elementelor acestuia: focul - in forma lanternelor (stalpilor) de piatra sau fier; pamantul - in forma pietrei si apa, aerul, plantele si animalele in formele lor naturale. Gradinile japoneze se impart in doua tipuri: gradini uscate (fara apa) si cele cu lac, cu toate ca si cele "uscate" exista apa sub forma unor bazine sau mici fantani. Aleea gradinii, in japoneza numita ROJI, nu este numai un element functional si nu reprezinta numai intrarea in gradina. Ea este o alee filosofica ce separa privitorul, pas cu pas, de lumea agitata si istovitoare din care a venit. Pietrele de pe alee sunt plasate intr-o iregularitate atenta si conduc de ce mai multe ori, indirect, spre zone ascunse sau obscure. Locurile in care aleea coteste intr-o directie sau alta sunt puncte de atractie care il indeamna pe vizitator sa se opreasca si reprezinta, la un alt nivel, perioadele meditative din viata. Pietrele formeaza in general cadrul sau structura de suport a unei gradini japoneze si trebuie privite ca si cum ar fi ocupat din totdeauna locul pe care se afla. Pietrele colturoase sugereaza zona montana, iar pietrele de rau, cu suprafete fine si rotunjite sunt folosite in albiile raurilor sau de-a lungul malurilor. Aceste elemente de efect pentru peisaj sunt mai degraba simbolice decat realistice. De exemplu, exista in general o insula in mijlocul lacului sau raului din gradina, care reprezinta "insula vietii vesnice" sau Nirvana - un loc linistit, aflat in afara timpului si spatiului. Acesta mai poate fi reprezentat de o piatra in forma de broasca testoasa sau un copac, simboluri ale longevitatii si ale unei vieti prospere. O gradina japoneza nu este amenajata pentru a arata o gama larga de flori. Japonezilor le plac mai degraba gradinile in conditii austere, cum ar fi iarna, cand capacii sunt dezgoliti de frunze; de asemenea, ei taie cameliile, azaleele si alti arbusti cu flori in asa fel incat sa faca cat mai putine flori. Florile nu sunt folosite niciodata in straturi sau pentru a margini aleile. De fapt, in gradina japoneza domneste o disciplina severa in ceea ce priveste utilizarea florilor: acestea se planteaza numai intr-un anumit loc in casa, numit TOKONOMA, un alcov special construit

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O gradina japoneza este reprezentarea universului si a elementelor acestuia: focul - in forma lanternelor (stalpilor) de piatra sau fier; pamantul - in forma pietrei si apa, aerul, plantele si animalele in formele lor naturale. Gradinile japoneze se impart in doua tipuri: gradini uscate (fara apa) si cele cu lac, cu toate ca si cele "uscate" exista apa sub forma unor bazine sau mici fantani.

Aleea gradinii, in japoneza numita ROJI, nu este numai un element functional si nu reprezinta numai intrarea in gradina. Ea este o alee filosofica ce separa privitorul, pas cu pas, de lumea agitata si istovitoare din care a venit. Pietrele de pe alee sunt plasate intr-o iregularitate atenta si conduc de ce mai multe ori, indirect, spre zone ascunse sau obscure. Locurile in care aleea coteste intr-o directie sau alta sunt puncte de atractie care il indeamna pe vizitator sa se opreasca si reprezinta, la un alt nivel, perioadele meditative din viata.

Pietrele formeaza in general cadrul sau structura de suport a unei gradini japoneze si trebuie privite ca si cum ar fi ocupat din totdeauna locul pe care se afla. Pietrele colturoase sugereaza zona montana, iar pietrele de rau, cu suprafete fine si rotunjite sunt folosite in albiile raurilor sau de-a lungul malurilor. Aceste elemente de efect pentru peisaj sunt mai degraba simbolice decat realistice. De exemplu, exista in general o insula in mijlocul lacului sau raului din gradina, care reprezinta "insula vietii vesnice" sau Nirvana - un loc linistit, aflat in afara timpului si spatiului. Acesta mai poate fi reprezentat de o piatra in forma de broasca testoasa sau un copac, simboluri ale longevitatii si ale unei vieti prospere.

O gradina japoneza nu este amenajata pentru a arata o gama larga de flori. Japonezilor le plac mai degraba gradinile in conditii austere, cum ar fi iarna, cand capacii sunt dezgoliti de frunze; de asemenea, ei taie cameliile, azaleele si alti arbusti cu flori in asa fel incat sa faca cat mai putine flori. Florile nu sunt folosite niciodata in straturi sau pentru a margini aleile. De fapt, in gradina japoneza domneste o disciplina severa in ceea ce priveste utilizarea florilor: acestea se planteaza numai intr-un anumit loc in casa, numit TOKONOMA, un alcov special construit pentru acest scop. Florile proaspete nu sunt niciodata folosite in aranjamente florale pe masa sau prin casa; nu sunt purtate in corsaje, la nunti sau inmormantari. Din puctul de vedere al filosofiei care guverneaza in gradinile japoneze, florile si plantele au o viata foarte speciala si, ca expresie a naturii, nu sunt folosite niciodata ca simple decoratiuni.

Principiile care guverneaza amenajarea unei gradini japoneze provin din filosofia Zen si au mai multe semnificatii.1. Asimetrie - Fukinsei2. Simplitate - Kanso3. Austeritate, maturitate, elemente necesare - Koko4. Naturalete, absenta falsului - Shizen5. Subtilitate - Yugen6. Transcendenta - Datsuzoku7. Liniste, calm – Seijaku

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1. Principiul asimetriei. Fukinsei este principiul care controleaza echilibrul dintr-o compozitie, iar acesta este mereu asimetric. Spatiul este organizat din trei dimensiuni - inaltime, latime si profunzime -, iar o gradina japoneza va avea mereu elemente neregulate.

In imaginea din dreapta textului este lanterna monumentala de piatra din Miyanoshita, construita in trei dimensiuni.

2. Principiul simplitatii (Kanso). Acest al doilea principiu este legat de simplitate si eliminarea oricaror ornamente. Se considera ca lucrurile care exprima simplitate sunt prin natura lor adevarate, naturale, lipsite de falsitate. Aplicarea acestui principiu implica un simt pentru curatenie, pentru lucrurile care sunt proaspete si nu foarte decorate. De asemenea, elementele care intra in categoria acestui principiu nu sunt niciodata flori sau elemente florale.

3. Principiul austeritatii (Koko) presupune un aspect ascetic, trecator in aparenta, care sa denote trecerea timpului; implica severitate, rigiditate. Elementele vizuale sunt reduse la structura lor de baza, fara aspecte senzuale.

4. Principiul naturalului. Shizen presupune naturalete adevarata, dar diferita de cea a naturii. Ea implica un simt creator si un scop bine determinat; nimic din ceea ce implica principiul Shizen nu trebuie sa fie fortat sau impus. De fapt, adevarata naturalete este, in filosofia Zen, negarea naivului si a accidentalului. Shizen e legat de arta si de absenta falsului sau artificialului, desi implica un act creator, si se manifesta printr-o aparenta naturalete si impresie de spontan in modul de amenajare a gradinii.

5. Principiul subtilitatii. Yugen se refera la evitarea lucrurilor evidente si este legat de subtilitatile naturii; aspectele acesteia sunt mai degraba sugerate decat dezvaluite in totalitate. Implica peisaje ascunse in zone in care exista jocuri de umbre, reflectii partiale si contururi negre. Acest principiu face aluzie la detaliile ascunse care nu sunt clare de la inceput pentru privitor. In cele din urma, o gradina japoneza - niwa - este o colectie de "subtilitati": reflectiile din lac, textura pietrelor si nisipul, jocul umbrelor, etc.

6. Principiul transcendentei. Surpriza este efectul imediat al utilizarii principiului Datsuzoku in gradina japoneza. Acesta implica transcententa ideilor conventionale si a obisnuintelor traditionale. Privitorii vor fi uimiti in prezenta elementelor respective si vor fi martorii renuntarii la legile restrictive. De asemenea, acest principiu sta la baza creativitatii de la cel mai inalt nivel.

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Chiar simpla creare a unei gradini japoneze din materiale naturale si succesul in dezvaluirea esentei elementelor naturale este in sine o surpriza.

In imaginea din dreapta se poate vedea poarta - Tori - din Miyajima, aflata in apa.

7. Principiul linistii. Senzatia de liniste care emana in gradinile japoneze zen este datorata "seijaku", principiul linistii si calmului. Aceste doua elemente domnesc intr-o gradina zen, si se pot regasi in reflectiile apei. Seijaku este opus zgomotului si nelinistii, desi acesta este gandit ca o stare activa, dar cu efecte de calmare. Perioada din an care i se potriveste cel mai bine este toamna tarzie sau primavara devreme, iar din zi rasaritul si amurgul.

Frumusetea gradinilor japoneze deriva din amestecarea si imbinarea a diferite elemente:

nisip pietre apa ornamente precum felinare, mici bazine cu apa (tsukubai) si garduri din lemn

de bambus plante naturale si alte elemente inconjuratoare

O parte din frumusetea gradinilor japoneze provine din expresia simbolica a cultelor religioase, budhismul si Shinto.

Simbolismul este folosit in aproape fiecare gradina. Nisipul aranjat sau pietrisul simbolizeaza raurile, iar gramajoarele de pietre pot simboliza insulele. Shakkei (sau elementele vizuale luate din alte peisaje) reprezinta folosirea unor decoruri sau plante pentru a completa gradina. Designul este realizat intr-o asa maniera incat decorul devine parte din intreg.

Tipuri de gradini japoneze

1. Gradina Karensui 

Numita si gradina uscata, cu roci si nisip, este unul dintre cele mai cunoscute tipuri de gradina japoneza. A aparut in perioada Muromachi (1333-1568) si a fost puternic influentata de doctrina Zen-budista. Include un numar limitat de plante, in special muschi, pietrisul aranjat simbolizand apa curgatoare, grupulete de pietre si roci. Un astfel tip de gradina renumita este Ryoanji din Kyoto.

 

2. Gradina pentru savurarea ceaiului (Cha Niwa sau Roji) 

Nu este neaparat o gradina in care se serveste ceaiul, ci contine urmatoarele elemente: felinare japoneze, un bazin de piatra cu apa, pietre pe care se umbla si un loc pentru asteptare. In cele mai multe cazuri,  sunt mici si ingradite, constituind pasajul spre foisorul

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in care se serveste ceaiul si se realizeaza ritualul ceaiului. Scopul ei este de a va limpezi mintea inainte ca ritualul ceaiului sa inceapa.  Un foarte bun exemplu de astfel de design il constituie Gradina Kimura-en, din Kashiwasaki, provincia Niigata.

 

3. Gradinile interioare (Tsubo Niwa)Gradinile interioare sunt mici, un „tsubo" reprezintand o masura japoneza, echivalenta a 3,3 metri patrati. Acest tip de gradina isi are originea in secolul XV, cand economia Japoniei a fost infloritoare, multi comercianti avand case mari cu cateva dependente in jurul ei, primele astfel de gradini fiind amenajate in spatiul deschis dintre casa si anexe. Elementele acesteia sunt similare cu cele ale gradinii de savurat ceaiul, insa sunt folosite mai des plante care tolereaza mai bine umbra. Principiile designului gradinilor interioare japoneze traditionale sunt potrivite pentru a crea spatii mici contemporane, sub un acoperis sau pe o terasa.

 

4. Gradinile cu dealuri (Tsukiyama)

Acestea sunt gradini mari ce imita peisajul natural. Adesea, anumite peisaje deja existente in natura sunt reproduse la o scara mai mica, ori se apeleaza la creerea unui peisaj nou.

 

5. Gradinile pentru recreere (Kaiyu-Shikien) 

Sunt gradini pentru recreere, majoritatea construite in perioada Edo. Majoritatea sunt parcuri publice acum.

Japonezii s-au straduit sa conceapa o arhitectura in functie de asezarea geografica, terenul nefiind prea generos in privinta planeitatii. Organizarea spatiului domestic, citadin si sacru a armonizat intotdeauna cu natura inconjuratoare. Arhitectura sacra shinta � era reprezentata de un complex de constructii numit miya, evidentiat de porticul caracteristic:torii.Mai tarziu, in perioada Asuka (552 – 646), budismul venit din China prin peninsula Coreea, a adus stilul arhitectural al Celor Sase Dinastii (sec. III – VI), pe langa noi elemente de cultura si civilizatie. Budismul impunea o arhitectura care are centru de greutate templul, in alcatuirea caruia sunt cuprinse mai multe elemente: kondo - sala principala, ta � - pagoda, kaira �– schitul, kada� � – sala de lectura, shura � – clopotnita, niwa – gradina,cha«mon – poarta de Sud, etc. In comparatie cu arhitectura traditionala, shinta-ista, sobra si uneori saracacioasa, cea�

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budista este plina de fantezie, infloritoare, incarcata din punct de vedere al amanuntelor decorative, are o bogatie de forma si culoare, o infatisare ce duce spre fast, grandios – un caracter baroc.In perioada Heian (794 – 1192), dupa anul 894, se intrerup legaturile diplomatice cu China, astfel arhitectura japoneza a fost obligata sa-si gaseasca un drum propriu si resurse in fantezia autohtona. Urmare a acestei autarhii, arhitectura sporeste in rafinament si eleganta, exprimand gustul estetic al aristocratiei vremii. Apare un nou stil in arhitectura domestica: shinden - proprie resedintelor aristocratice, in care s-a urmarit armonizarea constructiei cu mediul natural. Grija pentru respectarea frumusetii naturii inconjuratoare a stimulat construirea de gradini cu peisaje pe langa temple si chiar in preajma locuintelor.Dupa ce razboiul civil din 1180 a distrus multe cladiri, calugarului Chang� (1121 – 1206) ii revine sarcina de a reconstrui templeleKafuku-�ji si Tadai-ji� . Acesta va adopta modele ale arhitecturii din China dinastiei Song: stilul tenjiku-ya � . La acea vreme stilul arhitectural japonez era numit wa-ya � spre deosebire de cel chinez numit kara-ya �. O asfel de maniera arhitecturala, kara-ya �, a fost adoptata pentru a satisface noul curent intrat in arhipelag: budismul zen.La randul sau, arhitectura de peisaj trece prin diferite maniere, astfel ca noul stil shoin – nascut din stilul shinden, aduce un tip nou de arhitectura particularizat incaperii de desfasurare a ceremoniei ceaiului cha-no-yu, dar care si plaseaza aceasta incapere ca parte integranta a gradinii.Gradina japoneza este o imbinare armonioasa intre natura si arta. Influentata de mai multe curente filosofice si maniere, arhitectura de peisaj aduce gradinii japoneze un plus de originalitate si spiritualitate; face din aceasta o oaza a linistii si meditatiei, un loc unde, cel ce paseste in ea se intalneste cu el insusi, gasindu-si pacea interioara si puritatea.Elementele esentiale ale gradinii japoneze sunt: apa, pietrele, cascadele, plantele, pomii, podetul si lampioanele. Acestea reflecta armonia naturii si puritatea interioara avand drept scop gasirea pacii interioare si inducerea unei stari de meditatie si reflectare.Dincolo de o intelegere gresita a notiunii de gradina japoneza, creatorului unei astfel de lucrari estetice, ce urmeaza anumite reguli – de continut sau de geometrie – i se permite o exprimare libera, o creativitate absoluta in armonizarea elementelor constitutive.

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In zilele noastre, dintre amenajari, gradinile japoneze sunt cu adevarat remarcabile si acestea au fost realizate in tari ca SUA, Australia, Canada, Anglia, Irlanda, Argentina, Belgia, Brazilia.

Singura gradina japoneza din Orientul Mijlociu se afla in orasul Helwan, la 25 Km departare de Cairo. Locul care in trecut era folosit pentru tratamente termale datorita izvoarelor cu apa sulfuroasa, a devenit gradina japoneza. Aceasta a fost realizata in anul 1917 de catre un locuitor al Helwanului, Zulfugar Pasha drept cadou pentru Sultan Hussein. Pe acest loc fascinant, exista cateva alei, statui ce il reprezinta pe Buddha, animale mitice, un lac si o cafenea.

Gradinile tipic japoneze pot avea caracter peisager rupt din natura, cu elemente vii sau pot fi gradini de meditatie spirituala care prilejuiesc trairi estetice si emotionale unice. Constructiile se regasesc in partea centrala, de unde se poate admira intreaga priveliste. Deseori, in gradina japoneza se pot observa urmatoarele elemente tipice:

apa reala sau simbolica ( mici cascade, rauri sau lacuri artificiale); pietre (care rup ritmul unei gradini uniforme cu scopul facilitarii meditatiei

spirituale); ornamente- de regula un felinar din piatra; casa de ceremonia ceaiului sau un pavilion (un loc izolat si spiritualizat); elemente auxiliare , cum ar fi un gard sau un perete cu caracter tradicional; un pod catre o insula ( care simbolizeaza trecerea dintr-o lume in alta); alei cu dale din ceramica sau piatra, alei de pietris sau piatra sparta , alei cu

dale puse la dimensiunea pasului;

Spre exemplificare, va las sa admirati doua poze din parcul Himeji.Cel ce se opreste o clipa pentru a medita nu vede doar apa si pietre – el se va contopi cu incantatorul susur al apei. Cele doua pietre, una albastra si una turcoaz, asezate langacascada, simbolizeaza sanatatea si viata lunga.

 Un alt tip de gradina este cea din nisip si piatra (maniera aparuta din influenta austera a budismului zen). Acest tip de gradina rectangulara,

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cu nisip alb inconjurat de dale, ingradit de un perete, cu grupari de doua, trei sau cinci pietre poate fi intalnit in manastirile zen. Nisipul alb, modelat prin greblare, reprezinta apa si pietrele asezate intr-un echilibru artistic. reprezinta pamantul.Se poate intalni insa si un tip de gradina japoneza ce contopeste armonios, pastrand incarcatura spirituala, elementele constitutive ale celor doua descrise mai sus si cuprind in constructia lor apa, podetul, pietrele si nisipul.O gradina japoneza este in sine o reprezentare a universului si a elementelor acestuia: piatra = pamant; lacul, paraul, cascada = apa si lanterna sau lampionul = focul.Raji�  – aleea gradinii – nu este doar un element functional si nu reprezinta numai intrarea sau calea de acces prin gradina. Raji este o� alee filosofica ce separa vizitatorul de tumultul zilei, plasandu-l intr-o lume a meditatiei. Pietrele de diferite forme si dimensiuni au o simbolistica proprie: cele colturoase sugereaza o zona montana, iar pietrele netede, de rau, asezate pe alei la distanta pasilor sunt zile, perioade sau clipe de viata.Insula din mijlocul lacului sau a gradinii, reprezinta – insula vietii vesnice -, un loc linistit, dincolo de timp si spatiu. Aceasta poate fi reprezentata de o piatra in forma de broasca sau de un copac, simboluri ale vietii prospere si longevitatii.Filosofia ce guverneaza gradinile japoneze ne arata ca plantele si florile au o viata speciala si – ca expresie a naturii – acestea nu sunt folosite ca simple decoratiuni.

Gradinile japoneze sunt probabil cele mai cunoscute dintre gradinile asiatice. Japonezii au preluat arta gradinii de la chinezi, dar i-au imprimat disciplina si ordinea ce caracterizeaza acest popor.

Gradinile japoneze pot fi organizate in preajma unui templu, a unui pavilion de ceai, al unui palat sau pot sa fie uscate karesansui, cunoscute drept gradini Zen.

Cateva elemente sunt tipice acestor gradini: apa (prezenta reala sau simbolizata cu ajutorul pietrelor),stancile (uneori sugerand prezenta unui munte), lanternele din piatra, podetele arcuite sau in zig–zag,insulele care uneori au forme simbolice, pavilioanele simple sau bogat ornamentate.

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Gustul pentru frumusetea pietrelor cunoaste in Japonia rafinamente deosebite si reprezinta un element esential al ceremoniei ceaiului. Piatra are o robustete impresionanta, care, lustruita si prelucrata, emana stralucirea si eleganta culturii.

Tot din piatra sunt realizate felinarele, prezente misterioase in gradina, care fie adaposteau focurile aprinse de credinciosi, fie luminau ceremoniile nocturne de ceai. Cu ajutorul pietrelor sunt trasate aleile sinuoase care modeleaza pasii intr-un ritm anume, care sa permita contemplarea peisajului gradinii.

Dintre elementele vegetale unele sunt nelipsite, asa cum este bambusul sau pinul, simbolul singuratatii. Ciresul inflorit, glicina, lotusii, sunt tot atatea motive de incantare si de sarbatoare pentru japonezi. Atitudinea japonezilor fata de flori le-a adus celebritatea si au dat nastere unei arte specifice: ikebana.

Planta sarbatorita toamna cu tot fastul pe care il merita este crizantema. Desi se spune ca pentru prima data crizantema ar fi aparut in China, aceasta floare este asociata cel mai adesea Japoniei. Este firesc sa fie asa daca ne gandim ca timp de 10 secole emblema imperiala a Japoniei a fost o crizantema galbena cu 16 petale.

In octombrie crizantemele sunt venerate de japonezi prin organizarea de expozitii unde adeseori se pot admira aranjamente fanteziste.

Gradina Zen este caracterizata prin austeritate, iar elementele componente reprezinta simboluri pline de mister. In aceasta gradina noi am sugerat muntii cu ajutorul pietrelor, nisipul a fost greblat astfel incat sa aminteasca miscarea valurilor, am gasit cate un loc discret pentru cateva pete de muschi, care va invita la o stare de meditatie profunda si va ganditi ca cel care a dat suflet gradinii este chiar cel ce o priveste.

In aceasta gradina am cautat sa reunim simboluri pretuite de japonezi cu ajutorul unei plante venerate inTara Soarelui Rasare: crizantema.

Din aceasta planta am sugerat Muntele Fuji – indragit si temut de japonezi, Gradina Zen – reprezentativa pentru relatia speciala a japonezului cu natura, broasca testoasa – simbol al nemuririi,bonsaiul –

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element de arta recunoscut si apreciat pretutindeni. Le-am expus pe toate in acest spatiu, care speram sa ramana pentru fiecare fascinant si misterios.

LEGENDA

In mitologia japoneza se spune ca la inceputuri erau atat de multi zei in ceruri incat unii dintre ei, printre care zeul Izanagi si zeita Izanami, au coborat pe pamant pe un pod de nori. Odata ajunsi pe pamant, zeita a creat zei ai vantului, muntilor, marii si alti zei, iar in final a murit dupa ce a creat zeul focului.

Izanagi pierzind-o astfel pe Izanami, o urmareste in locul numit Noaptea Neagra, acolo unde ea a ajuns, numai pentru a vedea privelistea jalnica, urmat de Batrina Vrajitoare a Noptii Negre.

Aproape ajuns inapoi pe pamant, zeul Izanagi traverseaza un riu pentru a se purifica prin imbaiere. Acolo unde si-a lasat hainele ai acestea au atins pamintul, ele s-au transformat in 12 zei. Bijuteriile lui au devenit flori: o bratara a devenit iris, alta lotus, iar colierul sau a devenit o crizantema galbena.

Gradina japoneza

Gradina japoneza este simbioza naturii cu arta. Gradina japoneza are o lunga istorie infruetata de filozofia Shinto, Budista si Taoista. Aceste filozofii sunt folosite in crearea gradinii japoneze pentru a aduce o unda de spiritualitate gradinii. Influenta Budista face din aceste gradini o oaza de liniste, un loc unde oamenii se pot intalnii cu ei insisi si medita. Elementele esentiale ale unei gradini japoneze sunt apa, plantele, pietrele, cascadele, pomii si podetele. Exista doua opinii gresite in legatura cu gradita japonesa: prima e ca gradina japonesa urmeaza intotdeauna anumite reguli in ceea ce priveste geometría si continutul. Nimic mai fals! Arhitectul urmeaza anumite reguli, dar i se permite in acelasi timp sa fie creativ, sa se exprime liber. A doua opinie gresita e aceea ca gradinile japoneze ar fi niste gradini in miniatura. Gresit din nou! Gradinile japoneze nu sunt niste gradini pentru pitici, chiar daca uneorii pomii pitici dau aceasta impresie.Exista cinci feluri de gradini japoneze:

Gradina japoneza cu lac

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Gradina japoneza cu lac este cea mai mare ca dimensiuni, oferind diferite puncte de vedere in functie de locul in care te aflii. Esenta acestei gradini o constitue cascada si podetul de peste lac. Poate da impresia ca e doar apa si pietre, dar daca te opresiti si asculti, vei auzi incantatotul susur al apei. Aceasta gradina e plina de simboluri. Cele doua pietre, una turcoaz si cealalta albastra simbolurile unei vieti lungi si ale sanatatii.Acest citat va poate da o mai buna imagine asupra acestui tip de gradita japonesa: “Paturile de iris creaza un minunat spectrum de culori varatice. Sapte pietre rotunde sunt bagate in caldaramul din fata lacului mic. Aceste pietre impreuna cu inalta cascada sugereaza numele “cascada care cade din cer”. ”.

Gradina japoneza naturalaGradina japoneza naturala si-a primit acest nume deoarece aici traiesc rozatoarele si pasarile iar ele o reconstruiesc in mod permanent. Acesta gradita de asemenea are o cascada si un lac, plus o cladire ascunsa numita “Azumaya”. Gradina aceasta este contruita intr-un mod foarte artistic, imbinata armonios cu natura, astfel incat gradina devine parte din natura.

Gradina japonesa din nisip si pietreGradina japonesa din nisip si pietre a luat nastere in era Muromachi si reprezinta spiritualismul Zen, este folosita cu precadere de catre calugari in scopuri meditative si in consecinta este intalnita cu precadere in manastirile Zen. Acesta gradina rectangulara, cu nisip alb inconjurat de frumoase dale este ingradita de un perete artisic. De asemenea are cinci grupari de cincisprezece pietre grupate in gramajioare de doua, trei si cinci. Nisipul alb in combinatie cu pietrele confera un iz artistic gradinii. Cand cineva se uita la aceasta gradina are senzatia de pustietate, de goliciune. Cheia e ca nisipul ajuta la golirea mintilor vizitatorilor de lumea exterioara permitandu-le sa isi faca propria parere despre gradina. Unii spun ca nisipul alb reprezinta o masa de apa si pietrele din mijlocul nisipului sunt insulele Japoniei. Pietrele sunt asezate intr-o forma artistica, cu multa masura si in balans. Daca ar fi sa iei sau sa adaugi o piatra, echilibrul s-ar distruge. Aceasta arata ca Gradina din nisip si pietre a fost construita cu un delicat simt artistic, cu mult talent si cu multa incarcatura spirituala.

Gradina japonesa de ceaiGradina japonesa de ceai e compusa din doua parti: partea interioara si partea exterioara. Aici se afla si o traditionala casa de ceai. Tot ce se afla in acesta gradina a fost asezat aici cu cea mai mare grija si

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originalitate. Pietrele, felinarele din piatra si traditionalul bazin cu apa, toate au o bogata incarcatura simbolica. Gradina interioara e o gradina privata si poate fi vazuta numai din Casa Ceaiului. Gradina exterioara este locul de asteptarea al vizitatorilor care asteapta aici pe o banca de lemn sosirea gazdei. Cand apa e rece, se foloseste un incalzitor pentru a face oaspetii comozi. De asemenea la intrare este asesta un vas cu apa calda pentru spalarea mainilor, un ritual purificador inainte de a intra in Casa Ceaiului. 

Gradina japoneza netedaGradina japoneza neteda este o combinatie intre gradina naturala cu gradina de nisip si piatra. Aceasta gradina este formata dintr-o mare de nisip asesta intr-o forma circulara simbolizand iluminarea si fericirea. Pietrele sunt asezate si ele intr-o anumita forma iar vizitatorul poate sa isi formeze propria opinie despre ce reprezinta aceasta forma. In aceasta gradina se intalnesc atat nisipul alb cat si plante vesnic verzi, iarba si flori.

Exista multe elemente care construiesc o gradina japoneza. Fiecare element este insa acolo pentru a contribui la armonie. Nimic nu este de prisos. Totul in gradina japonesa are sens.

Dincolo de fascinatia oferita de frumusetea gradinilor japoneze, este important de

stiut ca acestea sunt amenajate pe baza unor principii filosofice puternice. Se

spune ca gradina japoneza reprezinta legatura dintre natura si arta. Istoria

gradinilor japoneze este lunga si influentata de filosofiile Shionto, Taoista

siBudista, care dau nota spirituala gradinilor japoneze.

O importanta majora in evolutia gradinilor japoneze a fost data de contributia

calugarilor Zen. Aspectul meditativ este preluat din folosofia Budista, gradinile

japoneze fiind adevarate pansamente pentru cei care au nevoie de liniste, pentru

cei care vor sa se regaseasca si sa mediteze.

Intr-o gradina japoneza se gasesc intotdeauna: apa, plante, pietre, cascade, pomi

si podete. Gradinile japoneze nu sunt niste gradini in miniatura, precum se

vehiculeaza si nici nu sunt realizate dupa reguli geometrice stricte.

Gradinile japoneze, decorate in stil japonez, se gasesc atat in zonele private, cat

si in diverse cartiere sau in parcuri, precum si in locurile cu insemnatate istorica,

precum vechile castele, tempele budiste sau altarele Shinto. Gradinile japoneze

pot sa fie uscate sau cu lac, desi si in cele uscate se gasesc mici bazine sau

fantani.

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Intr-o gradina japoneza este reprezentat Universul. Elementele universului sunt redate intr-o astfel de gradina prin diverse simboluri. Tocmai de aceea avem focul, reprezentat de stalpii de piatra sau fier, pamantul este piatra, iar apa, aerul, plantele si animalele apar in forma lor naturala.

In gradinile japoneze nu se gasesc multe flori. Japonezii prefera sa priveasca

gradinile iarna, cand copacii nu au frunze. Florile nu se folosesc pentru a delimita

aleile. Principiile gradinii japoneze sunt destul de stricte cand vine vorba de

folosirea florilor. Ele se pun intr-un anumit loc special construit, tokonoma.

Conform filosofiei gradinilor japoneze, florile si plantele in general sunt expresii ale

naturii si nu se folosesc pe post de simple ornamente. Florile proaspete nu sunt

folosite in aranjamente florale si nici nu se poarta la nunti sau inmormantari.

Structura suport a gradinilor japoneze este formata din pietre, iar amenajarea

acestora le face sa para de parca ar fi dintotdeauna acolo. Pietrele cu colturi

amintesc de zona montana, iar cele fine se folosesc in albiile raurilor.

Tipuri de gradini japoneze

Pe langa gradinile uscate (Karesansui Gardens) si cele de deal (Tsukiyama), mai

sunt si gradinile japoneze de ceai (Chaniwa Gardens) sau chiar gradini care

combina toate cele trei tipuri de arhitectura.

Tsukiyama imbina mai toate elemente din natura, in gradinile Karesansui gasim

peisaje naturale, dar reprezentate abstract, acestea fiind de cele mai multe ori

create pentru meditatie.

Gradinile japoneze Chaniwa, construite special pentru ceremonia de ceai, au o

casa de ceai sau o terasa, un loc amenajat, cu felinare de piatra pe margine si

tsukubai - bazinul de piatra unde se purifica invitatii inainte de ceremonie.

In gradinile japoneze, elementele care dau o nota aparte peisajului sunt incarcate

de simboluri. De pilda, cam in toate gradinile japoneze care au lac sau rau, se

gaseste in mijlocul acestuia o insula - "insula vietii vesnice" sau Nirvana - locul

linistit, care uneori mai e exprimat si printr-o piatra in forma de testoasa

(simbolurile longevitatii) sau un copac (simbolul unei vieti infloritoare).

ROJI - Aleea gradinii japoneze

Aleea gradinii japoneze (Roji) este locul pe unde se intra in gradina si semnifica

punctul de trecere pentru cel care calca pragul gradinii, detasand omul de

problemele lumii din care a venit. Pe alee se gasesc diverse puncte de atractie

menite sa-l faca pe vizitator sa le observe, sa se opreasca, acestea reprezentand

perioadele meditative ale vietii.

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Principii ale gradinilor japoneze

Gradinile Japoneze sunt amenajate in functie de unele principii care provin din

filosofia Zen. Acestea au diverse semnificatii:

Asimetrie – Fukinsei

Principiul acesta controleaza echilibrul. Gradinile japoneze au intotdeauna

elemente neregulate, precum ar fi stalpii de piatra, construiti in trei dimensiuni (cele

trei dimensiuni prin care este organizat spatiul: inaltime, latime si profunzime).

Subtilitate - Yugen

Acest principiu este in stransa legatura cu evitarea lucrurilor clare, facandu-se

aluzii la unele detalii ascunse, care sunt apoi descoperite de vizitatori. Aceste

"secrete" se pot ascunde in reflectiile din lac, pot fi regasite in jocul umbrelor sau

pot fi sugerate de textura pietrelor si a nisipului.

Naturalete - Shizen

In filosofia Zen, naturaletea este reprezentata de negarea naivului si a

accidentalului, Schizen referindu-se la arta, la absenta falsului si artificialului.

Principiul respectiv tine de naturaletea si spontanul regasite in modul in care

gradina este aranjata.

Austeritate, maturitate - Koko

Acest principiu se manifesta prin aspectul ascetic care implica rigiditate si se refera

la trecerea timpului. Elementele vizuale folosite sunt cat mai simple.

Transcendenta – Datsuzoku

Acest principiu se refera la transcendenta ideilor conventionale si a celor

traditionale, Datsuzoku fiind in stransa legatura cu creativitatea maxima.

Elementele utlizate astfel in gradinile japoneze sunt acolo ca sa surprinda.

Liniste – Seijaku

Seijaku este principiul responsabil pentru senzatia de liniste oferita de gradinile

japoneze.

Simplitate - Kanso  

Acest principiu se refera la eliminarea diferitelor ornamente, caci se considera ca

lucrurile simple sunt naturale, adevarate.

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Japanese gardens (日本庭園 nihon teien?) are traditional gardens that create

miniature idealized landscapes, often in a highly abstract and stylized way.[1] The

gardens of the Emperors and nobles were designed for recreation and aesthetic

pleasure, while the gardens of Buddhist temples were designed for contemplation

and meditation.

Japanese garden styles include karesansui, Japanese rock gardens or zen

gardens, which are meditation gardens where white sand replaces water; roji,

simple, rustic gardens with teahouses where the Japanese tea ceremony is

conducted;kaiyū-shiki-teien, promenade or stroll gardens, where the visitor follows

a path around the garden to see carefully composed landscapes; and tsubo-niwa,

small courtyard gardens.

Japanese gardens were developed under the influences of the Chinese gardens,[2] but gradually Japanese garden designers began to develop their own aesthetics,

based on Japanese materials and Japanese culture. By the Edo period, the

Japanese garden had its own distinct appearance.[3] Since the end of the 19th

century, Japanese gardens have also been adapted to Western settings.

Japanese gardens first appeared on the island of Honshu, the large central island

of Japan. In their physical appearance they were influenced by the distinct

characteristics of the Honshu landscape; rugged volcanic peaks, narrow valleys

and mountain streams with waterfalls and cascades, lakes, and beaches of small

stones. They were also influenced by the rich variety of flowers and different

species of trees, particularly evergreen trees, on the islands, and by the four

distinct seasons in Japan, including hot, wet summers and snowy winters.[4]

Japanese gardens have their roots in Japanese religion of Shinto, with its story of

the creation of eight perfect islands, and of the shinchi, the lakes of the gods.

Prehistoric Shinto shrines to the kami, the gods and spirits, are found on beaches

and in forests all over the island. Sometimes they took the form of unusual rocks or

trees, which were marked with cords of rice fiber (shimenawa), and surrounded

with white stones or pebbles, a symbol of purity.[5] The white gravel courtyard

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became a distinctive feature of Shinto shrines, Imperial Palaces, Buddhist temples,

and zen gardens.[6]

Japanese gardens also were strongly influenced by the Chinese philosophy

of Daoism, and Amida Buddhism, imported from China in or around 552 A.D..

Daoist legends spoke of five mountainous islands inhabited by the Eight Immortals,

who lived in perfect harmony with nature. Each Immortal flew from his mountain

home on the back of a crane. The islands themselves were located on the back of

an enormous sea turtle. In Japan, the five islands of the Chinese legend became

one island, called Horai-zen, or Mount Horai. Replicas of this legendary mountain,

the symbol of a perfect world, are a common feature of Japanese gardens, as are

rocks representing turtles and cranes.[7]

[edit]Japanese gardens in antiquity

The earliest recorded Japanese gardens were the pleasure gardens of the

Japanese Emperors and nobles. They are mentioned in several brief passages

of Nihon Shoki, the first chronicle of Japanese history, published in 720 A.D. In the

spring of the year 74 AD, the chronicle recorded: "The Emperor Keikō put a few

carp into a pond, and rejoiced to see them morning and evening". The following

year, "The Emperor launched a double-hulled boat in the pond of Ijishi at Ihare,

and went aboard with his imperial concubine, and they feasted sumptuously

together". And in 486, "The Emperor Kenzō went into the garden and feasted at

the edge of a winding stream".[8]

The Chinese garden had a very strong influence on the early Japanese gardens. In

or around 552 A.D. Buddhism was officially installed from China, via Korea, into

Japan. Between 600 and 612, the Japanese Emperor sent four legations to the

Court of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Between 630 and 838, the Chinese court sent

fifteen more legations to the court of the Tang Dynasty. These legations, with more

than five hundred members each, included diplomats, scholars, students, Buddhist

monks, and translators. They brought back Chinese writing, art objects, and

detailed descriptions of Chinese gardens.

In 612, the Empress Suiko had garden built with an artificial mountain, representing

Shumi-Sen, or Mount Sumeru, reputed in Hindu and Buddhist legends to be

located at the center of the world. During the reign of the same Empress, one of

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her ministers, Soga no Umako, had a garden built at his palace featuring a lake

with several small islands, representing the islands of the Eight Immortals famous

in Chinese legends and the Daoist philosophy. This Palace became the property of

the Japanese Emperors, was named "The Palace of the Isles", and was mentioned

several times in the Man'yōshū, the "Collection of Countless Leaves", the oldest

known collection of Japanese poetry.

It appears from the small amount of literary and archeological evidence available

that the Japanese gardens of this time were modest versions of the Imperial

gardens of the Tang Dynasty, with large lakes scattered with artificial islands and

artificial mountains. While they had some Buddhist and Daoist symbolism, they

were meant to be pleasure gardens, and places for festivals and celebrations. Like

the Chinese Emperors and court, the Japanese aristocrats enjoyed their gardens in

small boats with carved dragon heads.[9]

Gardens of the Heian period (794–1185)

In 794, at the beginning of the Heian Period, the Japanese court moved its capital

to Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto). During this period, there were three different

kinds of gardens; palace gardens and the gardens of nobles in the capital; the

gardens of villas at the edge of the city; and the gardens of temples.

The architecture of the palaces, residences and gardens in the Heian period

followed Chinese practice. Houses and gardens were aligned on a north-south

axis, with the residence to the north and the ceremonial buildings and main garden

to the south, there were two long wings to the south, like the arms of an armchair,

with the garden between them. The gardens featured one or more lakes connected

by bridges and winding streams. The south garden of the imperial residences had

a specially Japanese feature; a large empty area of white sand or gravel. The

Emperor was the chief priest of Japan, and the white sand represented purity, and

was a place where the gods could be invited to visit. The area was used for

religious ceremonies, and dances for the welcoming of the gods.[10]

The layout of the garden itself was strictly determined according to the principles of

traditional Chinese geomancy, or Feng Shui. The first known book on the art of the

Japanese garden, the Sakutei-ki, written in the 11th century, said:

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"It is a good omen to make the stream arrive from the east, to enter the garden,

pass under the house, and then leave from the southeast. In this way, the water of

the blue dragon will carry away all the bad spirits from the house toward the white

tiger."[11]

The Imperial gardens of the Heian Period were water gardens, where visitors

promenaded in elegant lacquered boats, listening to music, viewing the distant

mountains, singing, reading poetry, painting, and admiring the scenery of the

garden. The social life in the gardens was memorably described in the classic

Japanese novel, the Tales of Genji, written in about 1005 by Murasaki Shikibu, a

lady-in-waiting to the Empress. The traces of one such artificial lake, Osawa no ike,

near the Daikaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, still can be seen. It was built by the Emperor

Saga, who ruled from 809 to 823, and was said to be inspired by Dongting Lake in

China.[12]

A scaled-down replica of the Kyoto Imperial Palace of 794 A.D., the Heian-jingū,

was built in Kyoto in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th birthday of the city. The south

garden is famous for its cherry blossoms in spring, and for azaleas in the early

summer. The west garden is known for the irises in June, and the large east

garden lake recalls the leisurely boating parties of the 8th century.[12]

Near the end of the Heian period a new garden architecture style appeared,

created by the followers of Pure Land Buddhism. These were called "Paradise

Gardens," built to represent the legendary Paradise of the West, where the Amida

Buddha ruled. These were built by noblemen who wanted to assert their power and

independence from the Imperial household, which was growing weaker.

The best surviving example of a Paradise Garden is Byōdō-in in Uji,near Kyoto. It

was originally the villa of Fujiwara Michinaga, (966-1028), who married his

daughters to the sons of the Emperor. After his death, his son transformed the villa

into a temple, and in 1053 built the Hall of Phoenix, which still stands. The Hall is

built in the traditional style of a ChineseSong Dynasty temple, on an island in the

lake. It houses a gilded statue of the Amithaba Buddha, looking to the west. In the

lake in front of the temple is a small island of white stones, representing Mount

Horai, the home of the Eight Immortals of the Daoists, connected to the temple by

a bridge, which symbolized the way to paradise. It was designed for mediation and

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contemplation, not as a pleasure garden. It was an lesson in Daoist and Buddhist

philosophy created with landscape and architecture, and a prototype for future

Japanese gardens.[13]

Notable existing or recreated Heian gardens include:

Daikaku-ji

Byōdō-in

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Jōruri-ji

Kamakura and Muromachi Periods (1185-1573)

The weakness of the Emperors and the rivalry of feudal warlords resulted in two

civil wars (1156 and 1159), which destroyed most of Kyoto and its gardens. The

capital moved to Kamakura, Kanagawa, and then in 1336 back to the Muromachi

quarter of Kyoto. The Emperors ruled in name only; real power was held by a

military governor, the shogun. During this period, the Government reopened

relations with China, which had been broken off almost three hundred years earlier.

Japanese monks went again to study in China, and Chinese monks came to

Japan, fleeing the Mongol invasions. The monks brought with them a new form of

Buddhism, called simply zen, or "meditation". The first zen garden in Japan was

built by a Chinese priest in 1251 in Kamakura.[15] Japan enjoyed a renaissance in

religion, in the arts, and particularly in gardens.[16]

Many famous temple gardens were built early in this period, including Kinkaku-ji,

The Golden Pavilion, built in 1398, and Ginkaku-ji, The Silver Pavilion, built in

1482. In some ways they followed zen principles of spontaneity, extreme simplicity

and moderation, but in other ways they were traditional Chinese Song-Dynasty

Temples; the upper floors of the Golden Pavilion were covered with gold leaf, and

they were surrounded by traditional water gardens.

The most notable garden style invented in this period was the zen garden,

or Japanese rock garden. One of the finest examples, and one of the best-known

of all Japanese gardens is Ryōan-ji in Kyoto. This garden is just 9 meters wide and

24 meters long. It is composed of white sand carefully raked to suggest water, and

fifteen rocks carefully arranged, like small islands. It is meant to be seen from a

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seated position on the porch of the residence the abbot of the monastery. There

have been many debates about what the rocks are supposed to represent, but, as

garden historian Gunter Nitschke wrote, "The garden at Ryōan-ji does not

symbolize. It does not have the value of representing any natural beauty that can

be found in the world, real or mythical. I consider it as an abstract composition of

"natural" objects in space, a composition whose function is to incite mediation."[17]

Several of the famous zen gardens of Kyoto were the work of one man; Musō

Soseki (1275–1351). He was a monk, a ninth-generation descendant of

the Emperor Uda. He was also a formidable court politician, writer and organizer,

who armed and financed ships to open trade with China, and founded an

organization called the Five Mountains, made up of the most powerful zen

monasteries in Kyoto. He was responsible for the building of the zen gardens

of Nanzen-ji; Saihō-ji (The Moss Garden); and Tenryū-ji.

Notable gardens of the Kamakura and Muramachi Periods include:

Kinkaku-ji, (the Golden Pavilion)

Ginkaku-ji, (the Silver Pavilion)

Nanzen-ji

Saihō-ji (The Moss Garden)

Tenryū-ji

Daisen-in

The Momoyama Period (1568-1600)

The Momoyama period was short, just 32 years, and was largely occupied with the

wars between the daimyo, the leaders of the feudal Japanese clans. The new

centers of power and culture in Japan were the fortified castles of the daimyo,

around which new cities and gardens appeared. The characteristic garden of the

period featured one or more ponds or lakes next to the main residence, or shoin,

not far from the castle. These gardens were meant to be seen from above, from

the castle or residence. The daimyos had developed the skills of cutting and lifting

large rocks to build their castles, and they had armies of soldiers to move them.

The artificial lakes were surrounded by beaches of small stones and decorated

with arrangements of boulders, with natural stone bridges and stepping stones.

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The gardens of this period combined elements of a promenade garden, meant to

be seen from the winding garden paths, with elements of the zen garden, such as

artificial mountains, meant to be contemplated from a distance.[18]

The most famous garden of this kind, built in 1592, is situated near the Tokushima

castle on the island of Shikoku. Its notable features include a bridge 10.5 meters

long made of two natural stones.

Another notable garden of the period still existing is Sanbō-in, rebuilt by Toyotomi

Hideyoshi in 1598 to celebrate the festival of the cherry blossom, and to recreate

the splendor of an ancient garden. Three hundred garden-builders worked on the

project, digging the lakes and installing seven hundred boulders in a space of 540

square meters. The garden was designed to be seen from the veranda of the main

pavilion, or from the "Hall of the Pure View", located on a higher elevation in the

garden.

In the east of the garden, on a peninsula, is an arrangement of stones designed to

represent the mythical Mount Horai. A wooden bridge leads to an island

representing a crane, and a stone bridge connects this island to another

representing a tortoise. which is connected by an earth-covered bridge back to the

peninsula. The garden also includes a waterfall at the foot of a wooded hill. One

characteristic of the Momoyama period garden visible at Sanbō-in is the close

proximity of the buildings to the water.[18]

The Momoyama Period also saw the development of the chanoyu (tea ceremony),

the chashitsu (teahouse), and the roji (tea garden). Tea had been introduced to

Japan from China by Buddhist monks, who used it as a stimulant to keep awake

during long periods of meditation. The first great tea master, Sen no Rikyū (1522–

1591), defined in the most minute detail the appearance and rules of the tea house

and tea garden, following the principle of wabi (侘び?) "sober refinement and calm".[19]

Following Sen no Rikyū's rules, the teahouse was supposed to suggest the cottage

of a hermit-monk. It was a small and very plain wooden structure, often with a

thatched roof, with just enough room inside for two tatami mats. The only

decoration allowed inside a scroll with an inscription and a branch of a tree. It did

not have a view of the garden.

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The garden was also small, and constantly watered to be damp and green. It

usually had a cherry tree or elm to bring color in the spring, but otherwise did not

have bright flowers or exotic plants that would distract the attention of the visitor. A

path led to the entrance of the tea house. Along the path was waiting bench for

guests and a privy, and a stone water-basin near the tea house, where the guests

rinsed their hands and mouths before entering the tea room through a small,

square door called nijiri-guchi, or "crawling-in entrance", which requires bending

low to pass through. Sen no Rikyū decreed that the garden should be left unswept

for several hours before the ceremony, so that leaves would be scattered in a

natural way on the path.[20]

Notable gardens of the period include:

Tokushima Castle garden on the island of Shikoku.

Tai-an tea house at Myōki-an Temple in Kyoto, built in 1582 by Sen no Rikyū.

Sanbō-in at Daigo-ji, in Kyoto Prefecture (1598)

Edo Period (1615-1867)

During the Edo Period, power was won and consolidated by the Tokugawa clan,

who became the Shoguns, and moved the capital toEdo, which became Tokyo.

During this time, Japan, except for the port of Nagasaki, was virtually closed to

foreigners, and Japanese were not allowed to travel to any country except China or

the Netherlands. The Emperor remained in Kyoto as a figurehead leader, with

authority only over cultural and religious affairs. While the political center of Japan

was now Tokyo, Kyoto remained the cultural capital, the center for religion and art.

The Shoguns provided the Emperors with little power, but with generous subsidies

for building gardens.[21]

The Edo period saw the widespread use of a new kind of Japanese architecture,

called Sukiya-zukuri, which means literally "building according to chosen taste".

The term first appeared at the end of the 16th century referring to isolated tea

houses. It originally applied to the simple country houses of Samouri warriors and

Buddhist monks, but in the Edo period it was used in every kind of building, from

houses to palaces.

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The Sukiya style was used in the most famous garden of the period, the Katsura

Imperial Villa in Kyoto. The buildings were built in a very simple, undecorated style,

a prototype for future Japanese architecture. They opened up onto the garden, so

that the garden seemed entirely part of the building. Whether the visitor was inside

or outside of the building, he always had a feeling he was in the center of nature.

The garden buildings were arranged so that were always seen from a diagonal,

rather than straight on. This arrangement had the poetic name ganko, which meant

literally "a formation of wild geese in flight."[22]

Most of the gardens of the Edo Period were either promenade gardens or dry rock

zen gardens, and they were usually much larger than earlier gardens. The

promenade gardens of the period made extensive use of shakkei, the borrowing of

landscapes in the distance, such as mountains, and integrating them into the

garden; or, even better, building the garden on the side of a mountain and using

the different elevations. Edo promenade gardens were often composed of a series

of meisho, or "famous views", similar to postcards. These could be imitations of

famous natural landscapes, like Mount Fuji, or scenes from Taoist or Buddhist

legends, or landscapes illustrating verses of poetry. Unlike zen gardens, they were

designed to portray nature as it appeared, not the internal rules of nature.[23]

Shugakuin Imperial Villa

Shisen-dō, (1641)

Suizen-ji

Hama Rikyu

Kōraku-en (Okayama)

Ritsurin Garden (Takamatsu)

Koishikawa Kōraku-en (Tokyo), (1629)

Ninna-ji, Kyoto

Emman-in, Otsu

Sanzen-in, north of Kyoto

Chishaku-in, southeast of Kyoto

Jōju-in, in the temple of Kiyomizu, southeast of Kyoto. (1688–1703)

Manshu-in, northeast of Kyoto (1656)

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Nanzen-ji, east of Kyoto. (1688–1703)

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

The Meiji period saw the modernization of Japan, and the re-opening of Japan to

the west. Many of the old private gardens had been abandoned and left to ruin. In

1871, a new law transformed many gardens from the Momoyama and Edo periods

into public parks, preserving them. Notable gardens of this period include:

Kenroku-en, 18th and 19th centuries, finished in 1874.

Murin-an in Kyoto, finished 1898.

Chinzan-so in Tokyo

Modern Japanese gardens (1912 to present)

During the Showa Period (1926–1988,), many traditional gardens were built by

businessmen and politicians. After World War II, the principal builders of gardens

were no longer private individuals, but banks, hotels, universities, and government

agencies. The Japanese garden became an extension of the architecture of the

building. New gardens were designed by architecture school graduates, and often

used modern building materials, such as concrete.

Some modern Japanese gardens, such as Tōfuku-ji, designed by Mirei Shigemori,

were inspired by classical models. Other modern gardens have taken a much more

radical approach to the traditions. One example is Awaji Yumebutai, a garden on

the island of Awaji, in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, designed by Tadao Ando. It

was built as part of a resort and conference center on a steep slope, where land

had been stripped away to make an island for an airport.

Garden elements

Water

Japanese gardens always have water, either a pond or stream, or, in the dry rock

garden, represented by white sand. In Buddhistsymbolism, water and stone are

the ying-yang, two opposites which complement and complete each other. A

traditional garden will usually have an irregular-shaped pond, or, in larger gardens,

two or more ponds connected by a channel or stream, and a cascade, a miniature

version of Japan's famous mountain waterfalls.

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In traditional gardens, The ponds and streams are carefully placed according to

Buddhist geomancy, the art and science of putting things in the place most likely to

attract good fortune. The rules for the placement of water were laid out in the first

manual of Japanese gardens, the Sakuteiki, or "The Creation of Gardens", in the

11th century. (see "Literature" below.) According to the Sakuteiki, The water should

enter the garden from the east or southeast, and flow toward the west because the

east is the home of the Green Dragon (seiryu) an ancient Chinese divinity adapted

in Japan, and the west is the home of the White Tiger, the divinity of the east.

Water flowing from east to west will carry away evil, and the owner of the garden

will be healthy and have a long life. According to the Sakutei-ki, Another favorable

arrangement is for the water to flow from north, which represents water in Buddhist

cosmology, to the south, which represents fire, which are also opposites, or ying-

yang, and therefore will bring good luck.[24]

The Sakuteiki recommends several different possible miniature landscapes using

lakes and streams; the "ocean style", which features rocks which appear to have

been eroded by waves, a sandy beach, and pine trees; the "broad river style",

recreating the course of a large river, winding like a serpent; the "marsh pond"

style, a large still pond with aquatic plants; "The mountain torrent style", with many

rocks and cascades; and the "rose letters" style, an austere landscape with small,

low plants, gentle relief and many scattered flat rocks.

Traditional Japanese gardens have small islands in the lakes. In sacred temple

gardens, there is usually an island which representsMount Penglai or Mount Horai,

the traditional home of the Eight Immortals.

The Sakuteiki describes different kinds of artificial islands which can be created in

lakes, including the "mountainous island", made up of jagged vertical rocks mixed

with pine trees, surrounded by a sandy beach; the "rocky island", composed of

"tormented" rocks appearing to have been battered by sea waves, along with

small, ancient pine trees with unusual shapes; the "cloud island", made of white

sand in the rounded white forms of a cumulus cloud; and the "misty island", a low

island of sand, without rocks or trees.

A cascade or waterfall is also an important element in Japanese gardens, a

miniature version of the waterfalls of Japanese mountain streams.

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The Sakuteiki described seven different kinds of cascades. It also notes that if

possible a cascade should face toward the moon, and should be designed to

capture the reflection of the moon in the water

Rocks and sand

Rock, sand and gravel are an essential feature of the Japanese garden. A vertical

rock may represent Mount Horai, the legendary home of the Eight Immortals.

or Mount Sumeru of Buddhist teaching, or a carp jumping from the water. A flat

rock might represent the earth. Sand or gravel can represent a beach, or a flowing

river. Rocks and water also symbolize yin and yang, (in and yō in Japanese) in

Buddhist philosophy; the hard rock and soft water complement each other, and

water, though soft, can wear away rock.

Rough volcanic rocks (kasei-gan) are usually used to represent mountains or as

stepping stones. Smooth and round sedimentary rocks (suisei-gan) are used

around lakes or as stepping stones. Hard metamorphic rocks are usually placed by

waterfalls or streams. Rocks are traditionally classified as tall vertical, low vertical,

arching, reclining, or flat. Rocks should vary in size and color but from each other,

but not have bright colors, which would lack subtlety. Rocks with strata or veins

should have the veins all going in the same direction, and the rocks should all be

firmly planted in the earth, giving an appearance of firmness and permanence.

Rocks are arranged in careful compositions of two, three, five or seven rocks, with

three being the most common. In a three-arrangement, a tallest rock usually

represents heaven, the shortest rock is the earth, and the medium-sized rock is

humanity, the bridge between heaven and earth. Sometimes one or more rocks,

called suteishi, ("nameless" or "discarded") are placed in seemingly random

locations in the garden, to suggest spontaneity, though their placement is carefully

chosen.[26]

In ancient Japan, sand (suna) and gravel (jari) were used around Shinto shrines

and Buddhist temples. Later it was used in the Japanese rock garden or Zen

Buddhist gardens to represent water or clouds. White sand represented purity, but

sand could also be gray, brown or bluish-black

Garden architecture

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In Heian Period Japanese gardens, built in the Chinese model, buildings occupied as much or more space than the garden. The garden was designed to be seen from the main building and its varandas, or from small pavilions built for that purpose. In later gardens, the buildings were less visible. Rustic teahouses were hidden in their own little gardens, and small benches and open pavilions along the garden paths provided places for rest and contemplation. In later garden architecture, walls of houses and teahouses could be opened to provide carefully framed views of the garden. The garden and the house became one

Garden bridges

Bridges first appeared in the Japanese garden during the Heian period. At Byōdō-

in garden in Kyoto, a wooden bridge connects the Phoenix pavilion with a small

island of stones, representing the Mount Penglai or Mount Horai, the island home

of the Eight Immortals of Daoist teaching, The bridge symbolized the path to

paradise and immortality.[29]

Bridges could be made of stone (ishibashi), or of wood, or made of logs with earth

on top, covered with moss (dobashi); they could be either arched (soribashi) or flat

(hirabashi). Sometimes if they were part of a temple garden, they were painted red,

following the Chinese tradition, but for the most part they were unpainted.[30]

During the Edo period, when large promenade gardens became popular, streams

and winding paths were constructed, with a series of bridges, usually in a rustic

stone or wood style, to take visitors on a tour of the scenic views of the garden.

Stone lanterns and water basins

Japanese stone lanterns (台灯籠 dai-dōrō?, lit. platform lamp) date back to the Nara

Period and the Heian Period. Originally they were located only at Buddhist

temples, where they lined the paths and approaches to the temple, but in the Heian

period they began to be used at Shinto shrines as well. According to tradition,

during the Momoyama Period they were introduced to the tea garden by the first

great tea masters, and in later gardens they were used purely for decoration.

In its complete and original form, a dai-doro, like the pagoda, represents the five

elements of Buddhist cosmology. The piece touching the ground represents chi,

the earth; the next section represents sui, or water; ka or fire, is represented by the

section encasing the lantern's light or flame, while fū (air) and kū (void or spirit) are

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represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. The

segments express the idea that after death our physical bodies will go back to their

original, elemental form.[31]

Stone water basins, (tsukubai) were originally placed in gardens for visitors to

wash their hands and mouth before the tea ceremony. The water is provided to the

basin by a bamboo pipe, or kakei, and they usually have a wooden ladle for

drinking the water. In tea gardens, the basin was placed low to the ground, so the

drinker had to bend over to get his water.

Trees and flowers

Nothing in a Japanese garden is natural or left to chance; each plant is chosen

according to aesthetic principles, either to hide undesirable sights, to serve as a

backdrop to certain garden features, or to create a picturesque scene, like a

landscape painting or postcard. Trees are carefully chosen and arranged for their

autumn colors. Moss is often used to suggest that the garden is ancient. Flowers

are also carefully chosen by their season of flowering. Formal flowerbeds are rare

in older gardens, but more common in modern gardens. Some plants are chosen

for their religious symbolism, such as the lotus, sacred in Buddhist teachings, or

the pine, which represents longevity.

The trees are carefully trimmed to provide attractive scenes, and to prevent them

from blocking other views of the garden. Their growth is also controlled, in a

technique called Niwaki, to give them more picturesque shapes, and to make them

look more ancient. They are sometimes constrained to bend, in order to provide

shadows or better reflections in the water. Very old pine trees are often supported

by wooden crutches, or their branches are held by cords, to keep them from

breaking under the weight of snow.

In the late 16th century, a new art was developed in the Japanese garden; that

of o-karikomi, the technique of trimming bushes into balls or rounded shapes which

imitate waves. According to tradition this art was developed by Kobori Enshu

(1579–1647), and it was most frequently practiced on azalea bushes. It was similar

to the topiary gardens made in Europe at the same time, except that European

topieary gardens tried to make trees look like geometric solid objects, while o-

karkikomi sought to make bushes look as if they were almost liquid, or in in flowing

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natural shapes. It created an artistic play of light on the surface of the bush, and,

according to garden historian Michel Baridon, "it also brought into play the sense of

'touching things' which even today succeeds so well in Japanese design.".[33]

The most common trees and plants found in Japanese gardens are

the azalea (tsutsuji), the camellia (tsubaki), the oak (kashiwa), the Japanese

apricot (ume), cherry (sakura),maple (momiji), the willow (yanagi),

the ginkgo (ichō), the Japanese cypress (hinoki), the Japanese

cedar (sugi), pine (matsu), and bamboo (take).

Fish

The use of fish, particularly nishiki-goi (colored carp), or goldfish as a decorative element in gardens was borrowed from the Chinese garden. Goldfish were developed in China more than a thousand years ago by selectively breeding Prussian carp for color mutations. By the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279), yellow, orange, white and red-and-white colorations had been developed. Goldfish were introduced to Japan in the 16th century. Koi were developed from common carp in Japan in the 1820s. Koi are domesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are selected or culled for color; they are not a different species, and will revert to the original coloration within a few generations if allowed to breed freely.

Aesthetic principles

The early Japanese gardens largely followed the Chinese model, but gradually

Japanese gardens developed their own principles and aesthetics. These were

spelled out by a series of landscape gardening manuals, beginning

with Sakuteiki (Notes on Gardening) in the Heian Period (794-1185).[36] The

principles of sacred gardens, such as the gardens of Zen Buddhist temples, were

different than those of pleasure or promenade gardens; for example, Zen Buddhist

gardens were designed to be seen, while seated, from a platform with a view of the

whole garden, without entering it, while promenade gardens were meant to be

seen by walking through the garden and stopping at a series of view points.

However, they often contain common elements and used the same techniques.

Some basic principles are:

Miniaturization. The Japanese garden is a miniature and idealized view of nature.

Rocks can represent mountains, and ponds can represent seas. The garden is

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sometimes made to appear larger by placing larger rocks and trees in the

foreground, and smaller ones in the background.

Concealment. (miegakure, literally 'hide and reveal.') The Zen Buddhist garden is

meant to be seen all at once, but the promenade garden is meant to be seen one

landscape at a time, like a scroll of painted landscapes unrolling. Features are

hidden behind hills, trees groves or bamboo, walls or structures, to be discovered

when the visitor follows the winding path.

"Borrowed" Scenery (Shakkei). Smaller gardens are often designed to

incorporate the view of features outside the garden, such as hills, trees or temples,

as part of the view. This makes the garden seem larger than it really is.

Asymmetry. Japanese gardens are not laid on straight axes, or with a single

feature dominating the view. Buildings and garden features are usually placed to

be seen from a diagonal, and are carefully composed into scenes that contrast

right angles, such as buildings with natural features, and vertical features, such as

rocks, bamboo or trees, with horizontal features, such as water.[37]

According to garden historians David and Michigo Young, at the heart of the

Japanese garden is the principle that a garden is a work of art. "Though inspired by

nature, it is an interpretation rather than a copy; it should appear to be natural, but

it is not wild.".[38]

Landscape gardener Seyemon Kusumoto wrote that the Japanese generate "the

best of nature's handiwork in a limited space."[

Differences between Japanese and Chinese gardens

Japanese gardens during the Heian Period were modeled upon Chinese gardens,

but by the Edo Period there were distinct differences.

Architecture. Chinese gardens have buildings in the center of the garden,

occupying a large part of the garden space. The buildings are placed next to or

over the central body of water. The garden buildings are very elaborate, with much

architectural decoration. In later Japanese gardens, the buildings are well apart

from the body of water, and the buildings are simple, with very little ornament. The

architecture in a Japanese garden is largely or partly concealed.

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Viewpoint. Chinese gardens are designed to be seen from the inside, from the

buildings, galleries and pavilions in the center of the garden. Later Japanese

gardens are designed to be seen from the outside, as in the Japanese rock garden

or Zen garden; or from a path winding through the garden.

Use of Rocks. In a Chinese garden, particularly in the Ming Dynasty, rocks were

selected for their extraordinary shapes or resemblance to animals or mountains,

and used for dramatic effect. They were often the stars and centerpieces of the

garden. In later Japanese gardens, rocks were smaller and placed in more natural

arrangements. integrated into the garden.[40]

Marine Landscapes. Chinese gardens were inspired by Chinese inland

landscapes, particularly Chinese lakes and mountains, while Japanese gardens

often use miniaturized scenery from the Japanese coast. Japanese gardens

frequently include white sand or pebble beaches and rocks which seem to have

been worn by the waves and tide, which rarely appear in Chinese gardens.[