Takasago
noOnoe no
sakuraToyama no
kasumiTatazu mo
aranan
On that far
mountainOn
the slope below the peakCherries
are in flower.Oh,
let the mountain mistsNot
arise to hide the scene.
- GonChunagon
Masafusa
- Oe no Masafusa
"Winter
Landscape"
Sesshu
15th
Century
The Japanese garden embodies native values,
their cultural beliefs and religious principles. This is why there is no
one prototype for the Japanese garden, just as there is no one native
philosophy
or aesthetic. In this way, similar to other forms of Japanese art,
landscape
design is constantly evolving because of the influx of mainland, namely
Chinese, influences as well as the changing aesthetic tastes and values
of the patrons.
Edo
Period
Heian
Period
Ukiyo-
e
The line between garden and its surrounding
landscape is not distinct. The two embody each other in that every aspect
of the landscape is in itself a garden. Also, when observing the garden,
the visitor should not distinguish the garden from its architecture.
Gardens
incorporate natural and artificial elements and thus, fuse the elements
of nature and architecture.
In order to appreciate and understand the
Japanese
garden, the viewer should consider nature as a picture frame into which
the garden, or the man- made work of art, is inserted. It is in this way
the garden also helps the visitor understand his surroundings.
