NATURED AND THE JAPANESE GARDEN

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NATURED AND THE JAPANESE GARDEN

In early Japanese history, the garden was no more than an area enclosed by stones, a straw rope, or a fence. The ground inside was sacred; the ground outside, profane. Over time, this garden has been elaborated on, diversified, and refined, but the original concept endures: the Japanese garden remains a place apart, where art and nature collaborate to create serenity. In the ancient Shinto religion, gods were nature spirits, so the Japanese people’s perception of the garden as a place to worship nature is not surprising. Whether it is a postage-stamp-sized court yard or balcony, or a spacious stroll garden, in every hour and season the Japanese garden offers the quietude of the natural world..

In Japan, a garden is neither a slice of raw nature enclosed by a wall, nor an artificial creation that forces natural materials into unnatural forms to celebrate human ingenuity. Instead, it is a work of art that celebrates nature by capturing its essence. By simplifying, implying, or sometimes symbolizing nature, even a tiny garden can convey the impression of the larger, natural world.

To what in nature does a Japanese garden respond? The answer are various. The garden is a response to space and form within nature: to the landscape itself, the sky above the landscape, the sea around it, and features within it , such as stones, plants, and streams. It is a response to natural time: to the shifts in light during the day, the cycle of seasons with their changing charms, and to the enduring aspects of nature. It is also response to people, who, as creators and beholders, are themselves an essential component of nature.