Main Courtyard · Tea Courtyard · Inner Courtyard

Author: (Japanese) Mitohiko Mitahashi / Longjiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: For Japanese people, what can still be a source of pride to this day is the "natural-style gardens" and "tranquil gardens" that are now popular worldwide—they have been traditional family crafts and arts in Japan since ancient times. Moreover, as represented by the "dry landscape" () of the Muromachi period, Japanese gardens have long surpassed the standard of natural style, revealing the essence of a spiritual universe beyond what is visible to the eye. Japan has long held a worldview that the material universe visible to the eye is actually the spiritual universe. Just as the world is recognizing Western rationalism, it is necessary to reembrace the Japanese worldview, which was marginalized under the banner of "science," as a valuable perspective. On the other hand, when constructing gardens for ordinary homes, Mr. Kozo Kojima emphasized: "The garden of a home must first be aesthetically pleasing, providing a space that allows viewers to feel at ease. Overloading it with too many concepts or excessive expression can lead to gardens that make viewers ponder deeply, and such should be avoided at least in home gardens."
This is Volume 3, and we hope its content will help everyone better understand Japanese gardens. We have placed gardens from ancient and modern times in each chapter, dividing them into six categories based on the different locations and purposes of Japanese-style gardens in general residences: "Main Garden · Tea Garden · Inner Garden · Front Garden · Middle Garden · Side Garden," and introducing garden design examples tailored to various sizes of land. To allow readers to see the overall layout and views of the gardens, we have specially arranged 15 garden projects actually designed and constructed by volunteers from the Japan Garden Association. These are accompanied by floor plans and photos to explain the overall style of the gardens. We hope that through this volume, readers will gain insight into the inner soul of Japanese gardens as a part of Japanese culture.