| Japanese garden design is about as hard to | | | | Another outstanding feature of Japanese garden |
| understand to Westerners as the Japanese language | | | | design is that the main point is not to be beautiful or |
| is. The relationship to the rich and ancient eastern | | | | showy. The appearance of the garden is not its |
| culture adds to this difficulty. The practice is not just a | | | | purpose, but rather the message is the purpose. |
| style of landscaping. Rather, it a statement that | | | | Beauty is the after thought, so to speak. |
| delivers a specific meaning. Adding further to its | | | | The careful observer will notice that flowering plants |
| complexity is the influence of fengshui and its | | | | are scarce or nonexistent in Japanese garden design. |
| borrowings from Buddhism and Chinese culture. | | | | Rather, dry gravel streambed or sand swept into |
| The intention of Japanese garden design is to use | | | | patterns and large rocks and boulders are used to tell |
| nature to make a statement. The main element is | | | | the tales. Remember that the heart of all Japanese |
| symbology, most of which is influenced by Shintoism | | | | garden design is symbolism and storytelling, the tradition |
| and Buddhism, which is where the gods inhabit nature. | | | | is that this is done with plants and other elements of |
| This adds even more its cultural complexity making | | | | nature and not so much the use of colorful flowers. |
| hard for us to understand. | | | | Equally important to Japanese garden design are the |
| Since the garden is making a statement or telling a | | | | use of water, and more specifically the use of running |
| story, the first step is to determine what story you | | | | water, which symbolizes passing time or life. |
| want to tell. What is it you want to communicate to | | | | What shouldn’t get lost in Japanese garden |
| the world with your garden? It might be a good idea to | | | | design, but often is by Westerners because they think |
| decide in broad terms what you want to say, and then | | | | it’s ‘complicated’, is its simplicity. |
| through some research find out how Japanese would | | | | Once you know the story you are trying tell, it’s |
| go about communicating that truth, concept or story | | | | as simple as composing the elements of nature to tell |
| with a garden. | | | | that story. |