Japanese Gardens

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Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens (日本庭園) in the ancient tradition of Japan can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, at Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, and at historical landmarks such as old castles. Many of the Japanese gardens most famous in the West, and within Japan as well, are Zen gardens.

Typical Japanese gardens contain several of these elements, real or symbolic:

Water
An island
A bridge to the island
A lantern, typically of stone
A teahouse or pavilion

Japanese gardens might fall into one of these styles:

Strolling gardens, for viewing from a path
Sitting gardens, for contemplating from one place

Many Zen temples feature a garden in the karesansui (or karesenzui, kosansui, kosensui 枯山水: dry landscape) style. These have no water, but typically evoke a feeling of water using pebbles. Rocks chosen for their intriguing shapes and patterns, mosses and low shrubs typify the karesansui style. The garden at Ryoan-ji, a temple in Kyoto, is particularly renowned.

Shakkei (借景), borrowed scenery, is a technique Japanese gardeners use to make a small garden seem more spacious. By judiciously planting shrubs to block the view of nearby structures, they encourage the viewer to look up toward the mountains, and to think of them as part of the garden.

Some of Japan's Famous Garden

Kyoto
Kyoto Imperial Palace The emperor's residence until 1868.
Nijo Castle Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shogun.
Nanzenji Zen temple with beautiful stone garden.
Ryoanji Zen Temple most famous for its rock garden.
Daitokuji Large complex of Zen temples.
Katsura Villa Extremely beautiful imperial villa with garden.
Tenryuji Temple in the Arashiyama area.
Daigoji Famous temple in the southeast of Kyoto.
Byodoin Foremost example of a Heian Period Pure Land Garden.

Kanazawa
Kenrokuen Japan's most famous landscape garden.
Takamatsu Ritsurin Koen Outstanding Japanese style landscape garden.

Okayama
Korakuen Outstanding Japanese style landscape garden.

Tokyo
Rikugien Arguably Tokyo's best Japanese style garden.
Kokyo Higashi Gyoen, the East Garden of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
Hama Rikyu Park Beautiful Japanese garden along Tokyo Bay.

Yokohama
Sankeien Beautiful, spacious Japanese garden.

Kamakura
Zuisenji Temple Zen temple famous for its gardens.

Mito
Kairakuen Famous for its three thousand plum trees.

Hiraizumi
Motsuji Temple famous for its Pure Land Garden.

Inuyama
Urakuen Garden with a celebrated teahouse.

Hiroshima
Shukkeien A beautiful Japanese style garden.

Yamaguchi
Joeiji Temple Famous for the Zen garden Sesshutei.

Dazaifu
Komyozenji Temple with a beautiful Zen garden.

Kumamoto
Suizenji Koen Landscape garden that reproduces the Tokaido.

Kagoshima
Senganen Japanese style landscape garden.