Bridges are an element in the Japanese garden, that is often neglected in the literature.
After the main elements, water, rocks, and plants, the stone lanterns follow as the next most often mentioned element. Or so it seems.
Today, I would like to put the focus on bridges. What types exist, and how they are used in the Japanese garden.
Bridges in History
Let’s begin with the Sakuteiki, which has a short paragraph with a very easy-to-understand explanation of how to not use bridges. However, it doesn‘t really advise on how to!
The only advice is that you should never build a bridge towards a Horai island and if building a bridge in a waterfall setting, don‘t do it at the base of the waterfall, but at the top.
A common bridge goes over the middle of a river.
The Sakuteiki is a compiled garden manual from the late Heian Period (794 – 1185). However, we already know some examples from the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 – 1603) where the waterfall stigma of no bridges at the base, was broken.
Later, during the Muromachi Period (1336 – 1573), secret garden manual texts add some advice here and there, like adding four stones at the four edges of stone slab bridges.
However, we also know that not only stone slab bridges and bridges over rivers existed in ancient Japanese gardens. There were also curved bridges which connected islands in the palaces’ gardens.
Bridge Styles
So let’s get more into the different styles of bridges in Japanese gardens.
丸木橋 Maruki-bashi
A bridge made of one or more natural logs.
板橋 Ita-bashi
The next simple form of a bridge is made of thick planks. Wood can be used, as can stone.
桁橋 Keta-bashi
In English, this form of bridge is called a girder bridge. Girders are used to support its deck in manifold variations.
跳橋 Hane-bashi
This is a movable bridge (draw bridge), and of course, not often used in Japanese gardens.
More important for Japanese gardens are the sub-styles of the above-mentioned bridges.
反橋 Sori-hashi (太鼓橋 Taiko-bashi)
An arched bridge. Usually, boats were able to go under.
八つ橋 Yatsu-hashi
Eight boards are laid in a zigzag form, referring to a tale from the Ise Monogatari.
This has nothing to do with the tale that demons can’t cross such a bridge. This tale is a myth.
廊橋Rō-kyō/ 亭橋 Tei-bashi
Bridges that are covered by a roof or even have walls.
Materials for Bridges
Mainly, we have three types of materials. There are stone bridges, wooden bridges, and dirt bridges.
Wooden bridges have the most different styles. Due to the easy-to-work-with-material, many shapes and sizes are possible. From the single log bridge to the arched Taiko-bashi or Rō-kyō.
Stone bridges are common too, but usually, this material was used for small bridges and not for big, arched ones (there are exceptions though). What can be found very often are Ita-bashi in different patterns, or lightly arched ones.
A special form of using stones is stepping stones over water, called sawatari ishi.
The dirt bridge or sod bridge has a sub-construction made from wood and is covered in dirt. Depending on the bridge, the border is covered with groundcover plants like Ophiopogon. Sometimes, the whole bridge is covered in grass, but more often it’s covered in hardened, compacted soil.
Uses in the garden
Bridges are used in Japanese gardens over streams, in ponds with islands, or in dry landscape gardens with waterfalls, islands, or streams.
Putting a bridge as a decorative element alone is nothing you will find in Japan.
Depending on the scenery in the garden, the style of the bridge is decided.
Arched wooden, or sod bridges are always big. Red bridges are rare in gardens these days, maybe because you have to paint them frequently.
In smaller settings, simple log bridges or slab bridges are used. Sometimes you will also see lightly arched stone bridges in a Japanese garden.
For an authentic feeling in your Japanese garden, I advise watching many garden pictures from gardens within Japan that are of similar style and size as yours and see what kind of bridges were used.
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