Japanese garden

Japanese gardens are an expression of Japanese philosophy and history. Such gardens are found partially on private land, in city parks, at Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines and historical attractions such as old castles.

A special form that includes many of the most famous Japanese gardens, the Zen garden in Kare -san- sui - style, in which water and larger plants is omitted entirely. Become popular are these rock gardens as miniatures in the form of about 30 cm wide box for the desk. When Tsukiyama style ( artificial hills ) are, however, presented mountains of rocks and small hills and a pond represents the sea. It is therefore virtually a miniature landscape.

3.1 Nara period ( 710-794 )
3.2 Heian period ( 794-1185 )
3.3 Kamakura period ( 1185-1333 )
3.4 Muromachi period ( 1333-1573 )
3.5 Change Gardens
3.6 rockeries
3.7 tea gardens

Garden Construction

Such gardens are usually planned to the last detail. To understand them fully, it is necessary to "read" to learn them properly. In addition to the theoretical knowledge of design and craft art, the builder of the garden must be able to empathize with the given location to make the garden in harmony with the environment.

The gardens are designed so that visitors can make numerous discoveries. Often, a view from a different perspective leads to a completely different impression of the same plant, which is achieved by an asymmetrical, decentralized arrangement. Also popular are bumpy, uneven ground, so as not to allow the viewer to go one is unconscious through the garden. Just find ways their use only to draw the eye in a certain direction. Depending on the type of garden or setting of the viewer you can - rather than wander around - to settle down in one place and in depth look at the garden and soak up.

Interpretations

The viewer can see a garden in different elements of a garden many interpretations. Here, elements can be considered both individually and interpreted in combination. Despite careful planning, there is no strict requirement in the interpretation. In Zen gardens especially the four elements of stone, moss, tree and water occur, the last two only in symbolic form.

Stones symbolize example, animals that are integrated into nature. However, they were also dedicated from heaven rising gods. The water is lakes or oceans, which may be also devoted to the sea gods coming. According to a Chinese legend turned a fish that comes up a waterfall into a dragon. This waterfall is for Dragon Gate in Japan a symbol of enlightenment ( satori ) Represents the moss holds moisture on the ground and also symbolizes age, thereby also means honor in Japan. Trees are the symbol of life. You can also be regarded as a symbol of humanity, because they are part of a whole and also individually. Depending on the desired effect and can be used bonsai.

Sand, gravel, and especially granite gravel, which is not blown away so fast, are used to represent water. With raked lines waves are modeled. Stones on a mountain can be located as dogs, pigs or calves than playing with her mother understood. Bamboo is both flexible and stable. Individual sections of the pipe symbolize the generations. Plum and cherry trees blossom in the course of a year and fade again, so transience is symbolized. Also, the form elements by hills, trimmed hedges or lakes may allow their own interpretations.

Similar to the gardens as a whole pool can reflect from processed man-made stone, the unit of controlled and uncontrolled nature. Another possible contrast are evergreen pines beside a plum tree, which represents the dualism of the moment and eternity. It can be inserted in addition, also stone lanterns or tea houses in the countryside.

Language of plants

Some plants make further interpretations if you look at homonyms of their words. So Japanese red pines are durable and evergreen, so resistant. The Japanese word for this is the word " matsu " ( wait ) is similar; one possible interpretation would be waiting for her beloved. The Japanese word for flower is " hana ", which also can mean beauty. " Nadeshiko " refers to both wild carnations as well as young girls (see Yamato Nadeshiko ).

History

The origins of Zen gardens are located in the Chinese gardens around the year zero, which go back to the Taoism and the principle of Yin and Yang. To 612 has a Korean named Shikomaro (which means ugly Maro means ) in Japan gained prominence as he had designed an impressive gardens. During the Nara period ( 710-794 ) a freer implementation of nature began in the garden. In the Heian period, from 794-1185 the emerging during this period poets were responsible for the gardens. To 1000/1100 also the famous Ryoan -ji Temple was built. Added to this was the style of Shoin architecture, are always viewed through the gardens only from certain angles, but never the view takes place on the whole.

As of 1615, ie during the Edo period, the first known to gardeners who carry out their activities as a real profession. It was built in a short time also a specialization for the smallest details. Supposedly, Kyoto was spared in 1945 for the gardens of bombs. Today the gardens are like in Kyoto green islands surrounded by modern cities that have maintained their tradition and their rest.

Nara period ( 710-794 )

Nara, the former capital, was a replica of the Chinese capital - accordingly, the Chinese gardens were reconstructed exactly. Around the Imperial Palace emerged a number of landscape gardens.

Heian period (794-1185)

During the Heian period, when the capital was moved to Kyoto, the Japanese Gardens were strongly influenced by Chinese garden design, which is characteristic of the so-called Shinden style. You should clarify the cosmic order, the growth and decay, the cycle of seasons. Above all, they served the pleasure of the nobility, who was obsessed with a passion for all things Chinese. Complete fishing villages were built on man-made lakes, canals permitted boat trips, we enjoyed dressing up and reciting Chinese Chinese poetry. The religious significance of the garden art that they had in China yet, occurred in Japan completely into the background. Heian gardens were usually colorful, planted with many flowers and flowering shrubs and invited for a walk.

Kamakura period (1185-1333)

At the beginning of the 10th century broke the relationship off with China, and was established as the new capital of the warrior government in Kamakura, Yoritomo Minamoto monitored even the construction of the main garden, which now belonged to the monastery and not to the palace. The time of decadent courtiers in Kyoto was coming to an end. A new religiosity also held in the gardens feeder. The aesthetics of Zen was spread by traveling monks from China and practiced in the art and many aspects of life in Japan an enormous influence. The typical Japanese Shoin style evolves. Its characteristics are asymmetry, smallness instead of sprawling landscape concepts, abstraction.

Muromachi period (1333-1573)

Above all, the ink - paintings of the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279) gave new impetus to the art of gardening: monochrome landscapes such as this should be the gardens. The perspective has been designed to a particular viewpoint back and through "artificial depth", shortenings or color Tricks ( light against dark) a spatial impression was created that made the gardens often appear larger than they actually were. The surrounding wall was most densely planted them and thus invisible.

Famous examples are the gardens of Saiho -ji (around 1339 ), Tenryu -ji ( as a transition from Shinden for Zen style, 1343 ), the garden of the Golden Pavilion (or Kinkaku -ji, 1397 ) and the garden of the Silver Pavilion (or Ginkaku -ji, 1484 ).

Change gardens

By 1600, with the rise of the daimyo, a new type of landscape garden developed called kaiyūshiki files. This is characterized by the generous use of ponds from where there are islands that can be reached via bridges or stone paths. To this type belong the three famous gardens in Japan: Kenroku -en, -en Koraku and Kairaku -en.

Rockeries

After the Ōnin War Kyoto lay in ruins. Money for the construction of new gardens was not available. Kare -san- sui, the dry garden of stones and sand: In the temples, which had to make do without the lavish funding by aristocracy and wealthy families now, a new, very lean style developed around 1513. These famous Zen gardens are used exclusively for meditation.

Famous are the gardens of the temple Daisen- in with a dry watercourse and the sand cones and especially Ryoan -ji, which is determined with its carefully composed stone islands on raked sand ground of openness, width and asymmetry, although he is not much bigger than a standard tennis court. Due to the radical renunciation of plants ( just a little moss around the stones is allowed ) gets the plant something timeless, abstract.

Tea gardens

In connection with the tea ceremony is now also developing tea gardens that take very own ritual tasks. It is around the tea house, to create an atmosphere of seclusion from the world, so that the Teegäste can come to rest. A waiting bench and a stone water for cleaning hands is as important as the gate through which one enters the tea garden and thus leaving all worldly things behind. The planting with dense bamboo or shrubs produced the intended impression of wildness and originality.

Gallery

Tsukiyama garden in Tofuku -ji

View from the garden pavilion Keitaku -en

Japanese Garden in Australia

Japanese Garden in Augsburg

Japanese Garden in Erfurt

Japanese Garden in Kaiserslautern

View from the Japanese Garden of the Bayer Building, Leverkusen

Japanese Garden of Würzburg twinned Otsu, former grounds of the State Garden Show

Japanese Garden in the " Park of Gardens" at Bad Zwischenahn

Japanese garden in Bielefeld

Japanese Garden in Helwan, Egypt

Bonn, Rhine Park, Japanese Garden ( Aerial View )

Japanese Gardens in Germany

( Includes only publicly accessible )

Augsburg: in the Botanical Garden (former Landesgartenschaugelände )
Rudolf-Diesel- memory grove in the Wittelsbach Park

Japanese Gardens in Austria

( Includes only publicly accessible )

Vienna: in the Schönbrunn Palace Gardens
Vienna - Dobling: Setagayapark
Vienna -Oberlaa: Takasakipark in the park Oberlaa
Vienna - Kagran: Franz- Karl- Effenberg - Asiagarten, site of the Vocational School of Horticulture and Floristry
Vienna - Alsergrund: Courtyard 2 in the Old AKH

Japanese Gardens in Switzerland

( Includes only publicly accessible )

Interlaken, between Interlaken Castle and the River Aare

Other major Japanese Gardens

Hasselt ( Belgian province of Limburg): Japanse tuin
Parc oriental de Maulévrier, Japan 's largest garden of France
Singapore: Seiwaen, the largest Japanese garden outside of Japan ( on an island in the lake Jurong, west of the city center of Singapore )
Madeira Monte Palace Tropical Garden with Japanese garden and devices, and many stone lanterns
Helwan: Garden from the 1920s, as was the spa town of Helwan

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