Water is one of the three important elements in the Japanese garden. Today we want to explore how water is integrated into the garden design in form of ponds. Ponds in the Japanese garden differ, depending on the type of the garden, in size and shape. History of ponds in...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Nijō Castle – Ninomaru Nijō Castle – Ninomaru（二条城 二の丸庭園） The Ninomaru gardens of the Nijō castle in Kyoto have been designed by garden master Kobori Enshu. The palace was built for the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Murin-an Murin-an（無鄰菴） Murin-an is a typical strolling garden of the Meiji period (1868-1912). It was built between 1894 and 1896 by Yamagata Aritomo, a Prime Minister of Meiji period Japan. As much as he loved the Japanese garden culture,...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Kyōto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace) Kyōto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace)（京都御所） The Imperial Palace in Kyoto has been the seat of the Emperor from the Heian period (794-1185) until the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). After the Edo period,...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Kyoto Area > Katsura Rikyū Katsura Rikyū（桂離宮） The Katsura Rikyū or Katsura Imperial Palace (also known under the name Katsura Detached Palace), has been built for Prince Toshihito in the early Edo period. Since the prince was very well read, the gardens...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Famous Gardens > Tokyo Area > Hamarikyū Teien Hamarikyū Teien（浜離宮恩賜庭園） The Hamarikyū garden is a large strolling garden directly next to Tokyo bay. It was built by the shogun Tokugawa in the Edo period (1603-1868). The garden’s ponds are connected to the Tokyo bay so...Continue Reading
Plant Profile: Osmanthus fragrans Ancient Greek: osmḗ = fragrance, ánthos = flower Latin: fragrans = fragrance English: Sweet olive, tea olive, fragrant olive Flower period in Japan: middle of September – end of October Color of flowers: Orange Soil: rich fertile soil, well drained garden soil Exposition: from sun to...Continue Reading
The next garden element on my list is the stone lantern. Everyone knows the beautiful withered lanterns made of natural or hewn rocks. Today I want to talk about their origin and use in the Japanese garden. Origin Lanterns weren‘t always a garden element. They were invented in a religious...Continue Reading
The next garden element on my list is the water basin! I guess, the best-known examples for these water basins are the ones in front of Japanese shrines but also the ones in Japanese tea gardens. Both are meant to symbolically purify oneself before entering a special place. To fulfill...Continue Reading
What I always tried to find out was the relationship between the Treasure Ship (takarabune) with the Seven Lucky Gods (shichifukujin), and the Ship Stone (funaishi). Now that I stuck at home, I have time to investigate! Let’s start with a more or less short explanation of these three:...Continue Reading
