You enter this serene place where the plants seem to be in random places, and yet at the same time, they look as if they were placed there on purpose. Unlike most gardens you see, this garden has plants that are cut cleanly, solid shapes forming out of clumps of leaves so that from a distance, you’d think the clump of leaves was actually one solid object. The garden in front of you actually looks like a portrait: The plants, rocks, water, even the lantern help shape a picture of, perhaps, the mountains, the heavens, even another garden. From a distance, you would think you’re looking at a miniature forest, complete with rivers, lakes, stone formations, and the greenery. And then, something else fascinates you. Typical gardens are placed at backyards or inside greenhouses. But this garden has the house as its center piece! Right there, in the middle of the serene garden, is the gardener’s house.

No doubt you are in a typical, classical, Japanese garden.

Japanese Gardens – An Ancient Tradition of Perfection

Japanese gardens were first designed under the influence of the Scholar’s Garden, more commonly known as the Chinese Classical Garden or simply the Chinese Garden. The first gardens were made for religious purposes. It then evolved as a place for ceremonies, contemplation, and amusement. Several other factors, such as the arrival of Zen teachings and the fact that the shoguns simply enjoyed gardening, allowed gardening techniques to flourish and develop until it came to a point where it became closely related to the arts of calligraphy and ink painting. In fact, it became so aesthetically important that the tradition of making Japanese gardens should only be passed down from master (or sensei) to apprentice.

Japanese gardens are always aesthetically pleasing. It always evokes a sense of tranquility and peace. It is believed that only an artist with a soul at peace, in complete balance, can create a great garden. The tradition of making a garden is steeped in so much history and tradition. It’s not just a work of art. Most of the time, it is almost like a religious experience.

Miniature Paradise

True to its loyalty to nature, Japanese garden plants are mostly green, with just a few exceptions offering subtle tones and changes in climate. Flowering shrubs and trees are used but in limited number only, and mostly just for emphasis purposes. Stones are used for pathways and bridges. Since Japanese gardens are mostly loosely based on natural landscapes like mountains, the stones also act like mountains, or clumps of mountains. The water source is made so that it looks like its naturally part of the environment. This is why traditional Japanese gardens do not have fountains. Water sources are also designed irregularly, so as to look more natural. The main point of making Japanese gardens is that they should always look like a miniature world. This is why the Japanese garden plants have bonsais.

The Japanese have perfected the art of capturing the tranquility and beauty of nature in miniature.