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About Us

Meet the heads behind Real Japanese Gardens. Keizo Hayano, a Japanese garden designer with 20 years experience under his belt. He studied the fine arts in Kyoto and loves small intimate gardens that heal the soul.

Jenny Feuerpeil is a German garden designer who came to Japan hoping to soak up the essence of Japanese design. She loves everything with a rough texture, the boldness of stone arrangements and dry landscape gardens.

Anika Ogusu is a German gardener with a deep interest in Japanese gardens and culture. She looks at things from every possible angle and tries to find new perspectives.

Keizo Hayano  (早野恵三)

I loved drawing since I was a child. In my teenage years I would use my free time to visit an atelier after school to improve my painting skills. I chose to study oil painting at the Kyoto University of Fine Arts, where I began to become interested in architecture and design. After graduating, I worked as kawara workman, laying roof tiles on traditional Japanese houses. This is where I first got in touch with Japanese gardens. It didn’t take long until I switched professions and entered the world of exterior and garden design.

My work style


Since ancient times, Japanese live in close bonds with their neighbors and nature. In my work, I want to cherish the traditions of Japan and adapt them to modern Japanese life. I want to evoke the Wabi-Sabi feeling in my fellow human beings and create places that comfort the soul.
  •  Gardens Hayano likes…
niwashyu

Check out Hayano’s garden design company Niwashyu

1972
born in Ibaraki-City, Osaka
1991
entered the oil painting course at the Kyoto Seika University
1993
started working in the house building industry

1994

collected experience as roof tiler for traditional Japanese town houses, temples and shrines

1995-2004

worked as exterior and garden designer in a landscape company in Osaka and the Kinki area

2004-2009

promotion to chief designer in Tokyo and the Kanto region

2009

founded Exterior and Garden Design Studio Niwashyu

Licenses and Certificates


First-Class landscape gardening work operation and management engineer
Second-Class engineer operation and management engineer
Second-Class building operation and management engineer
Assistant Surveyor
Member of the Japan Association of Professional Garden Designers

Awards


2005

Award of Excellence – Garden Design Contest by the Association for “Garden Thinking”

2006

Award of Excellence – 13th Garden Space Construction Contest (Takasho co., ltd.)

2007

Nomination – 30th Exterior Construction Contest – Entrance Gate Category (Toyoexterior co., ltd.)

2008

Gold – 4th Makeland Construction Photography Contest – Before-After Category (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)

2009

Award of Excellence – 14th Garden Space Construction Contest (Takasho co., ltd.)
2009
Gold – 5th Makeland Construction Photography Contest – Before-After Category (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)
2010
Silver – 6th Makeland Construction Photography Contest – Before-After Category (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)
2010
Bronze – 33th Exterior Construction Contest – Exterior Renovation Category (Toyoexterior co., ltd.)

2010

Gold – 1st Tokyo International Flower and Garden Show – City Garden Category (Collaboration with Masami Garden co., ltd.)

2011

Bronze – 1st Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Eco-Life Category (YKK ap co., ltd.)

2011

Bronze – 1st LIXIL Exterior Construction Contest – Garden Category (Lixil co., ltd.)

2012

Silver – 8th Makeland Construction Photography Contest – Night Scene Category (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)

2012

Silver 8th Makeland Construction Photography Contest – Garden Plan Category (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)

2012

Silver – 2nd Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Garden Material Category (YKKap co.,ltd.)

2012

Nomination – 2nd LIXIL Exterior Construction Contest – Exterior Renovation Category (Lixil co., ltd.)

2013

Silver – 3rd Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Exterior Renovation Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2013

Grand Prize – 3rd Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Family Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2014

Bronze – 10th Makeland Construction Photography Contest (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)

2014

Nomination – 10th Makeland Construction Photography Contest (Tokoname epcos co., ltd.)

2014

Silver – 4th Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Exterior Renovation Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2014

Bronze – 4th Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Entrance Gate – Garage Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2014

Nomination – 4th Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Family Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2014

Nomination – 4th LIXIL Exterior Construction Contest – Entrance Gate – Garage Category (Lixil co., ltd.)

2014

Fighting bravely – 22th TOYO Construction Photography Contest – Wall Material Category (Toyo kogyo co., ltd.)

2015

Bronze – 5th Exterior Design Construction Photography Contest – Window – Garden Category (YKKap co., ltd.)

2015

Bronze – 23th Garden Space Construction Contest – Japanese style Creation Category (Takasho co., ltd.)
About Us

Anika Ogusu

I was raised in the garden of my grandmother and the woods around our house. When I got interest in Japan in my teenage years, I combined my two loves and started to collect everything about Japanese gardens. After my school graduation, I studied Japanese culture for about 3 years at university before I chose to become a gardener. I was trained in the Botanical Garden Hamburg and after my graduation in 2008 I worked there till I went to Japan in 2012 to expand my knowledge about Japanese gardens. Since then I have been taking every chance to visit gardens in Japan and soak up every little detail that seems interesting to me.

2003-2006

entered the course for Japanese studies at the University of Hamburg

2006-2008

started the gardener training in the Botanical Garden of the University of Hamburg

2008

graduated as gardener with specialization in perennials

2008-2011

gardener for tropic and subtropic crops and in charge for breeding beneficial organism for pest control in Botanical Garden Hamburg

2011-2012

gardener in charge for the “perennial valley” in Botanical Garden Hamburg

2012-2014

Japanese gardening training near Tokyo

2014-

Garden Designer at Garden Design Shop Niwashyu and in charge for Real Japanese Gardens
  •  Gardens Anika likes…

Jenny Feuerpeil

Since I first came to Japan in 2009, I was in love with Japanese gardens. After a number of years in the business world, I started to study gardens and garden design in 2007. Soon, I became infatuated with strong, minimalist designs. When I saw my first ‘Real Japanese Garden’ in 2009, I knew that I wanted to soak up more knowledge about the careful composition of Japanese gardens. I embarked on a Japanese gardeners training program near Tokyo in April 2010 and saw private and smaller public gardens nearly every day. Long before the idea to this website was born, I wanted my friends and family abroad to also see these ‘Real Japanese Gardens’ – small gems hidden in the busy streets of Japan.

2005

Graduated from University of Applied Science Mannheim

2005-2008

Sales Representative in a global IT company

2008-2009

Study of Gardens and Garden Design at the English Gardening School in London

2009

Founded the Garden Design label “Dendron Exterior Design”

2010-2011

Japanese gardening training near Tokyo

2011-2012

Garden Design projects in Germany

2012-2014

Head writer of Real Japanese Gardens
  •  Gardens Jenny likes…

Check Jenny’s garden design label Dendron Exterior Design