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  • Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.  Trang An is also about cultural points such as pagodas, temples, palaces in addition to archaeological finds.  The karst tower landscape of Trang An dominates the landscape as an array of rock towers with vertical walls above the surrounding land and water creating a  patchwork of color.  Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era.
    trang-an-15.jpg
  • Exploring Caves by boat at Trang An Complex -Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.  Trang An is also about cultural points such as pagodas, temples, palaces in addition to archaeological finds.  The karst tower landscape of Trang An dominates the landscape as an array of rock towers with vertical walls above the surrounding land and water creating a  patchwork of color.  Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era.
    trang-an-8.jpg
  • Boatman at Trang An Complex -Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.  Trang An is also about cultural points such as pagodas, temples, palaces in addition to archaeological finds.  The karst tower landscape of Trang An dominates the landscape as an array of rock towers with vertical walls above the surrounding land and water creating a  patchwork of color.  Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era.
    trang-an-3.jpg
  • Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.  Trang An is also about cultural points such as pagodas, temples, palaces in addition to archaeological finds.  The karst tower landscape of Trang An dominates the landscape as an array of rock towers with vertical walls above the surrounding land and water creating a  patchwork of color.  Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era.
    trang-an-10.jpg
  • Exploring Caves by boat at Trang An Complex -Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.  Trang An is also about cultural points such as pagodas, temples, palaces in addition to archaeological finds.  The karst tower landscape of Trang An dominates the landscape as an array of rock towers with vertical walls above the surrounding land and water creating a  patchwork of color.  Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era.
    trang-an-7.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.”
    nakane-garden-4.jpg
  • The Zen Garden at the San Francisco Golden Gate Park Japanese Tea Garden was designed by Nago Sakurai, a leading Japanese landscape architect.  Dry landscape gardens, often called "zen gardens" were introduced into Japan originally from China during the Kamakura Period.  Japanese Zen monks, during studies in China, were impressed with landscape scrolls and rock work in Chinese gardens.  So when they returned to Japan they adapted them and created what we think of today as a "zen garden" or "dry landscape garden".  The sand, gravel, stones are meant ro symbolize mountains, hills, islands, rivers, oceans and ponds.
    golden-gate-tea-8.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.”
    nakane-garden-5.jpg
  • Japanese Tea Garden at Kokoen - Kokoen Garden; Kokoen; koko-en; himeji castle garden; himeji garden; japanese stepping stones; tobi-ishi; tobi ishi; skipping stones; flying stones; exterior space; landscape; landscape architecture; idyllic; Tranquility; Simplicity; japanese landscape architecture; exterior space; no people; scenery; tranquil; tranquility; calm; natural light; calming; calmness; peacefulness; serenity; serene; nobody; Soujuan Tea House; Soujuan Teahouse
    koko-en-53.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.” -
    nakane-kinsaku-garden-01.jpg
  • Hama Rikyu, the garden of a feudal lord's residence during the Edo Period, is one of Tokyo's most attractive landscape gardens. It is located next to Tokyo Bay, beside the futuristic Shiodome district. Seawater ponds, former duck hunting grounds, forested areas and a teahouse in the middle of the pond are some of the park's attractions. The difference between the traditional garden with Shiodome's skyscrapers as a background shows a remarkable contrast between modern Japan and traditional Japan which seem to co-exist in harmony.
    hama-rikkyu-10.jpg
  • Ninomaru garden was designed by the famous landscape architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu. It is located between the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.  Nijo Castle and its garden are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    ninomaru-7.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-12.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-10.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-06.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan.  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-07.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-15.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-21.jpg
  • Hama Rikyu, the garden of a feudal lord's residence during the Edo Period, is one of Tokyo's most attractive landscape gardens. It is located next to Tokyo Bay, beside the futuristic Shiodome district. Seawater ponds, former duck hunting grounds, forested areas and a teahouse in the middle of the pond are some of the park's attractions. The difference between the traditional garden with Shiodome's skyscrapers as a background shows a remarkable contrast between modern Japan and traditional Japan which seem to co-exist in harmony.
    hama-rikkyu-12.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-23.jpg
  • Originally created as a "Japanese Village" exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park originally spanned about one acre. When the fair closed, Japanese landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara created a permanent Japanese garden as a gift for posterity.  Hagiwara became caretaker of the property, pouring all of his personal wealth and creative talents into creating a garden of perfection.  Hagiwara expanded the garden to its current size of approximately 5 acres. He and his family lived on the grounds for many years until 1942 when they were forced to evacuate their homes and put into internment camps. Today, the Japanese Tea Garden endures as one of the most popular attractions at Golden Gate Park, featuring an arched drum bridge, pagodas, stone lanterns, stepping stone paths, native Japanese plants, serene koi ponds and a zen garden.
    golden-gate-tea-3.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu built by the local feudal lord during the Edo Period and considered one of the most esquisite gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features ponds, hills and pavilions set in the woods which acts as background and a textbook example of borrowed scenery.
    ritsurin-garden-16.jpg
  • Tenryuji has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples". Tenryuji was established in 1339, and like many other temples burnt down several times over its history. Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind, that is "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's essential ingredients.
    tenryuji-7.jpg
  • Tenryuji Garden has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples". Tenryuji was established in 1339, and like many other temples burnt down several times over its history. Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind, that is "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's essential ingredients.
    tenryuji-1.jpg
  • Trang An Landscape Complex covers a very large area surrounded by rice fields containing three distinct areas: Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, Trang An, and Tam Coc Bich Dong.  Collectively it is called the Trang An Landscape Complex, situated near the Red River Delta. This is a mountainous area blending mountains surrounded  by water basins that are connected through underground streams and caverns.
    trang-an-4.jpg
  • Togetsukyo Bridge at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden -  one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-18.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-14.jpg
  • Daisen-in is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, one of the five most important zen temples of Kyoto. The name means "The Academy of the Great Immortals." Daisen-in was founded by the Zen priest Kogaku Soko and was built between 1509 and 1513.  Daisen-in is noted for its karesansui, or zen garden.  The garden was created in the eary 16h century and is attributed to the monk painter Soami. The main garden, is in an L shape.  It contains a miniature landscape similar to a Song Dynasty landscape painting, composed of rocks suggesting mountains and a waterfall, clipped shrubs and trees representing a forest, and raked white gravel representing a river. IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE IN JAPAN
    daisen-in-garden-3.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-13.jpg
  • Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in.  Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water.  Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm.  The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.  Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha. Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in. Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water. Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm. The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori. Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha.
    komyo-in-1.jpg
  • Daisen-in is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, one of the five most important zen temples of Kyoto. The name means "The Academy of the Great Immortals." Daisen-in was founded by the Zen priest Kogaku Soko and was built between 1509 and 1513.  Daisen-in is noted for its karesansui, or zen garden.  The garden was created in the eary 16h century and is attributed to the monk painter Soami. The main garden, is in an L shape.  It contains a miniature landscape similar to a Song Dynasty landscape painting, composed of rocks suggesting mountains and a waterfall, clipped shrubs and trees representing a forest, and raked white gravel representing a river. IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE IN JAPAN
    daisen-in-garden-2.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-3.jpg
  • Tenryuji Sogenchi Pond Garden - Tenryuji Garden has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples". Tenryuji was established in 1339, and like many other temples burnt down several times over its history. Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind, that is "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's essential ingredients.
    tenryuji-9.jpg
  • Zig Zag Bridge at Shukkeien Garden - Shukkeien garden was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko - a warrior who became a Buddhist monk, tea master and landscape gardener.  It was designed and built for the villa of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima.  Shukkeien distorts concepts of space, cramming a miniaturized version of the landscape of West Lake Hangzhou China into a space of just 40,000 square meters.  Even its name means shrunken-scenery garden. Shukkeien contains many of the elements of classic landscape gardens introduced from China by Zen priest Muso Kokushi: evocatively shaped rocks, pavilions and a large pond with small islands. Around Takuei Pond with its hump-backed Rainbow Bridge winding paths lead visitors through miniature mountains, valleys, fields and groves.  Shukkeien’s Seifukan teahouse, with its thatched roof and lyre-shaped window, a different tea ceremony is held each month to celebrate the flowers of each successive season.
    shukkeien-15.jpg
  • Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in.  Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water.  Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm.  The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.  Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha. Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in. Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water. Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm. The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori. Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha.
    komyo-in-5.jpg
  • Kokokyo Bridge at Shukkeien Garden - Shukkeien garden was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko - a warrior who became a Buddhist monk, tea master and landscape gardener.  It was designed and built for the villa of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima.  Shukkeien distorts concepts of space, cramming a miniaturized version of the landscape of West Lake Hangzhou China into a space of just 40,000 square meters.  Even its name means shrunken-scenery garden. Shukkeien contains many of the elements of classic landscape gardens introduced from China by Zen priest Muso Kokushi: evocatively shaped rocks, pavilions and a large pond with small islands. Around Takuei Pond with its hump-backed Rainbow Bridge winding paths lead visitors through miniature mountains, valleys, fields and groves.  Shukkeien’s Seifukan teahouse, with its thatched roof and lyre-shaped window, a different tea ceremony is held each month to celebrate the flowers of each successive season.
    shukkeien-13.jpg
  • Zig Zag Bridge at Shukkeien Garden - Shukkeien garden was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko - a warrior who became a Buddhist monk, tea master and landscape gardener.  It was designed and built for the villa of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima.  Shukkeien distorts concepts of space, cramming a miniaturized version of the landscape of West Lake Hangzhou China into a space of just 40,000 square meters.  Even its name means shrunken-scenery garden. Shukkeien contains many of the elements of classic landscape gardens introduced from China by Zen priest Muso Kokushi: evocatively shaped rocks, pavilions and a large pond with small islands. Around Takuei Pond with its hump-backed Rainbow Bridge winding paths lead visitors through miniature mountains, valleys, fields and groves.  Shukkeien’s Seifukan teahouse, with its thatched roof and lyre-shaped window, a different tea ceremony is held each month to celebrate the flowers of each successive season.
    shukkeien-4.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-6.jpg
  • Kokokyo Bridge at Shukkeien Garden - Shukkeien garden was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko - a warrior who became a Buddhist monk, tea master and landscape gardener.  It was designed and built for the villa of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima.  Shukkeien distorts concepts of space, cramming a miniaturized version of the landscape of West Lake Hangzhou China into a space of just 40,000 square meters.  Even its name means shrunken-scenery garden. Shukkeien contains many of the elements of classic landscape gardens introduced from China by Zen priest Muso Kokushi: evocatively shaped rocks, pavilions and a large pond with small islands. Around Takuei Pond with its hump-backed Rainbow Bridge winding paths lead visitors through miniature mountains, valleys, fields and groves.  Shukkeien’s Seifukan teahouse, with its thatched roof and lyre-shaped window, a different tea ceremony is held each month to celebrate the flowers of each successive season.
    shukkeien-11.jpg
  • Togetsukyo Bridge at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden  - Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-2.jpg
  • Seifukan Teahouse at Shukkeien Garden - Shukkeien garden was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko - a warrior who became a Buddhist monk, tea master and landscape gardener.  It was designed and built for the villa of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima.  Shukkeien distorts concepts of space, cramming a miniaturized version of the landscape of West Lake Hangzhou China into a space of just 40,000 square meters.  Even its name means shrunken-scenery garden. Shukkeien contains many of the elements of classic landscape gardens introduced from China by Zen priest Muso Kokushi: evocatively shaped rocks, pavilions and a large pond with small islands. Around Takuei Pond with its hump-backed Rainbow Bridge winding paths lead visitors through miniature mountains, valleys, fields and groves.  Shukkeien’s Seifukan teahouse, with its thatched roof and lyre-shaped window, a different tea ceremony is held each month to celebrate the flowers of each successive season.
    shukkeien-8.jpg
  • Ninomaru garden was designed by the famous landscape architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu. It is located between the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.  Nijo Castle and its garden are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    ninomaru-8.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-7.jpg
  • Sogenchi Pond Garden - Tenryuji has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples".  Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind.  This is a "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's main ingredients and what makes it so special.
    tenryuji-13.jpg
  • Fukuda Art Museum Garden - Based on the basic qualities of Kyoto’s traditional machiya townhouses, the museum building aims for a special derivative Japanese architecture. Even considering contemporary architecture, the exhibition room has the feeling of a warehouse, although the essence of the Kyoto machiya style has been taken into consideration. There is a reflective pond garden running from the building to the river.  It is a very modern garden that reflects Arashiyama as a water mirror. The overall architectural design was created by Yasuda Atelier and designed by Mitani Landscape Studio and constructed by Ueyakato Landscape, a purveyor of gardenIng services in Kyoto. 
    Fukuda-Museum-Garden-3.jpg
  • Kokoen is a relatively modern Japanese garden, opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lord's west residence Nishi-Oyashiki at Himeji Castle. The gardens were designed by a team of Japan's top landscape architects and garden designers and consists of nine separate, walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period.  Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden & tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden and a flower garden.  Overall the gardens were designed to be attractive in every season.
    koko-en-49.jpg
  • Tsutenkyo Bridge at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden -  one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill..
    koishikawa-korakuen-21.jpg
  • Tsutenkyo Bridge at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden -  one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill..
    koishikawa-korakuen-20.jpg
  • Tsutenkyo Bridge at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden- one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    tsutenkyo-bridge-1.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-2.jpg
  • Chiran Bukeyashiki Samurai Residence and Gardens - visitors can step into each of the seven gardens of which six are "Karesansui" rock garden, and one a "Chisen Kaiyu Shiki" strolling pond garden. Each garden features a miniaturized version of natural landscape, by wisely incorporating actual hillsides in the backdrop as part of the garden elements.  There are also landscaped alleys connecting the samurai residences and gardens called the  "Honbaba promenade"
    chiran-bukeyashiki-gardens09.jpg
  • Yoko-en Garden at Taizo-in Temple displays both elegance and austerity and has been called one of the Showa era's finest gardens. The landscape gardener Nakane Kinsaku designed this expansive garden.  While difficult to see at a glance, great pains have gone into the details. An example of this is the spacious impression one gets when the garden is viewed from the front.
    taizo-in-7.jpg
  • Shorazon Hill at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden - one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-10.jpg
  • Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in.  Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water.  Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm.  The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.  Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha. Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in. Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water. Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm. The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori. Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha.
    komyo-in-9.jpg
  • Korakuen is a Japanese landscape garden located in Okayama and is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public. The garden suffered severe flood damage in 1934 and during World War II bombing in 1945, but has been restored based on Edo period paintings and diagrams.
    korakuen-4.jpg
  • Seiganji Garden is characterized by the use of moss to represent water. It was built with the scenery of Mt. Tao as a borrowed landscape.  After heavy rain, the underground water seeps out and the dry landscape garden transforms into a pond garden. This Edo period garden is a two-sided garden that is extremely rare in Japan. The scenery where lush moss sinks on the bottom of the water and reflects off the surface of the water is truly exceptional beauty. When the Rakurakuen in Hikone Castle was built, stones were taken away from Seiganji though later a vassal of the Ii family who built Rakurakuen and Genkyuen Gardens, rebuilt it at the request of the priest at the time.  Seiganji is a Nationally Designated Scenic Spot.
    seiganji-amber-3.jpg
  • Kokoen Garden Pavilion - Kokoen is a relatively modern Japanese garden, opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lord's west residence Nishi-Oyashiki at Himeji Castle. The gardens were designed by a team of Japan's top landscape architects and garden designers and consists of nine separate, walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period.  Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden & tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden and a flower garden.  Overall the gardens were designed to be attractive in every season.
    koko-en-39.jpg
  • Kokoen is a relatively modern Japanese garden, opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lord's west residence Nishi-Oyashiki at Himeji Castle. The gardens were designed by a team of Japan's top landscape architects and garden designers and consists of nine separate, walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period.  Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden & tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden and a flower garden.  Overall the gardens were designed to be attractive in every season.
    koko-en-34.jpg
  • Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in.  Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water.  Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm.  The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.  Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha. Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in. Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water. Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm. The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori. Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha.
    komyo-in-10.jpg
  • Carp are seen in Japan (as well as in the rest of Asia) as a symbol of fortune.  These ponds used as an element of a landscape pond garden. Classic koi ponds have nishikigoi Japanese ornamental carps.  It is said that the design of a koi pond has a great effect on the well-being of the carp.
    carp-pond-11.jpg
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of Tokyo's oldest and most beautiful Japanese landscape gardens. It was built by close relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun in the early Edo Period..Like most traditional Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen attempts to reproduce famous landscapes from China and Japan in miniature, using a pond, stones, plants and a man made hill.
    koishikawa-korakuen-9.jpg
  • Seiganji Garden is characterized by the use of moss to represent water. It was built with the scenery of Mt. Tao as a borrowed landscape.  After heavy rain, the underground water seeps out and the dry landscape garden transforms into a pond garden. This Edo period garden is a two-sided garden that is extremely rare in Japan. The scenery where lush moss sinks on the bottom of the water and reflects off the surface of the water is truly exceptional beauty. When the Rakurakuen in Hikone Castle was built, stones were taken away from Seiganji though later a vassal of the Ii family who built Rakurakuen and Genkyuen Gardens, rebuilt it at the request of the priest at the time.  Seiganji is a Nationally Designated Scenic Spot.
    seiganji-2.jpg
  • Kokoen Garden Pavilion - Kokoen is a relatively modern Japanese garden, opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lord's west residence Nishi-Oyashiki at Himeji Castle. The gardens were designed by a team of Japan's top landscape architects and garden designers and consists of nine separate, walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period.  Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden & tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden and a flower garden.  Overall the gardens were designed to be attractive in every season.
    koko-en-37.jpg
  • Kokoen is a relatively modern Japanese garden, opened in 1992 on the former site of of the feudal lord's west residence Nishi-Oyashiki at Himeji Castle. The gardens were designed by a team of Japan's top landscape architects and garden designers and consists of nine separate, walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period.  Among the gardens are the garden of the lord's residence which features a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden & tea ceremony house, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden and a flower garden.  Overall the gardens were designed to be attractive in every season.
    koko-en-33.jpg
  • Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in.  Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water.  Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm.  The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.  Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha. Hashin-tei Garden at Komyo-in. Komyo-in is one of many sub-temples at Tofuku-ji and was founded in 1391. Several tatami rooms in this small temple offer a commanding view of its fine garden. The central part of the garden is a composed of a moss and stone design with numerous standing stones protruding from the mossy hillocks. The raked gravel, symbolizes water. Komyo-in is much quieter than the rest of Tofuku-ji, even during the peak seasons and there lies is charm. The garden at Komyo-in was designed by renowned garden designer and landscape architect Mirei Shigemori. Mirei designed the garden with three Buddhist triads with stones placed on lines drawn from the large stone in the middle of the garden likened to rays from the Buddha.
    komyo-in-8.jpg
  • Tenryuji Garden has been ranked first among Kyoto's "Five Great Zen Temples". Tenryuji was established in 1339, and like many other temples burnt down several times over its history. Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot and famous garden designer, created Tenryuji's landscape garden which, unlike the temple buildings, survived the many fires and is considered one of the oldest of its kind, that is "borrowed landscape" garden, taking in the background scenery of the hills of  Arashiyama as part of the garden's composition. Sogenchi pond and Ishigumi rock clusters in the garden are this pond garden's essential ingredients.
    tenryuji-6.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-08.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-02.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-01.jpg
  • Toyanogata Park Garden is a Niigata city park located on the shores of Lake Toyanogata.  It is called Healing Garden by locals as it is a popular spot for jogging, yoga and tai chi events in the community.  Water has been integrated into the landscape taking advantage of its location on the shore of the lake, from Shukei Pond to the stream. The garden has three different types of bridges over the pond and streams. The garden is composed around a pond dominated by a large stone bridge studded with elements such as stone lanterns, yukitsuri, continuity of waterfalls from the stream.  In this way, The garden expresses the watery city of Niigata.  The garden was designed by the Comprehensive Design Institute.
    Toyanogata-01.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -07.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -03.jpg
  • Gyokusuien Garden - Gyokusuien is a pond-viewing garden with a view of the mountains behind it - the scale is like a strolling garden, created by Kinsaku Nakane. The garden located adjacent to the Tanimura Art Museum. Gyokusuien is a pond-viewing garden with a view of the mountains behind it - using Itoigawa’s natural landscape to create living art which grows and changes with each passing season.  Adjacent to the garden is the renowned Tanimura Art Museum, designed by modernist architect Togo Murano in collaboration with Nakane Kinsaku.  The two also collaborated on other projects: nearby Hisuien Jade Garden and Tenjuen in Niigata City.
    Gyokusuien-11.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-11.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-13.jpg
  • Ritsurin Pond Garden - Ritsurin Garden is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan.  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-24.jpg
  • Tofukuji Western Garden - Compared with rigidity of the southern garden's Zen-style dry stone-garden, the western garden has a gentle style composed of moss and azalea shrubs trimmed in a chequered pattern like a "Seiden" or Chinese style of dividing plots of land.  Renowned landscape architect Shigemori Mirei designed this garden
    tofukuji-west-04.jpg
  • Ryogin-an Eastern garden is the "Garden of the Inseparable". This garden uses purple gravel that is not common for zen gardens, an indicator of the modernity of its of its design. Ryogin-an gardens were designed by Shigemori Mirei the renowned landscape architect and garden designer who designed other gardens at Tofukuji, as well as other venues in Kyoto and Japan.
    ryugin-an-5.jpg
  • Kairaku-en   "A park to be enjoyed together" is a Japanese garden located in Mito. Along with Kenroku-en and Koraku-en, it is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Kairakuen was built by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki. Unlike Japan's other two great landscape gardens Kairakuen served not only for the enjoyment of the ruling lord, but was open to the public. Kairakuen is most attractive during the plum blossom or ume season, which usually takes place in late February and early March..
    kairakuen-6.jpg
  • Kairaku-en "A park to be enjoyed together" is a Japanese garden located in Mito. Along with Kenroku-en and Koraku-en, it is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Kairakuen was built by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki. Unlike Japan's other two great landscape gardens Kairakuen served not only for the enjoyment of the ruling lord, but was open to the public. Kairakuen is most attractive during the plum blossom or ume season, which usually takes place in late February and early March..
    kairakuen-7.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-15.jpg
  • Hakurotei White Dew Garden is a garden that can easily be visited as it now serves as the front of the Fukushima District Court, just off Aizuwakamatsu Castle, also known as Tsuruga Castle. An Enshu-style pond-viewing garden that was built in the mansion of the Aizu clan chief.  This garden retains the remnants of the past, such as cutting stones and azaleas on the slope, and is lined with tall trees such as cedar and azalea, and is designated as a green space designated as a natural landscape in Aizuwakamatsu City as the entrance to Tsuruga Castle.
    hakurotei-4.jpg
  • Toyanogata Park Garden is a Niigata city park located on the shores of Lake Toyanogata.  It is called Healing Garden by locals as it is a popular spot for jogging, yoga and tai chi events in the community.  Water has been integrated into the landscape taking advantage of its location on the shore of the lake, from Shukei Pond to the stream. The garden has three different types of bridges over the pond and streams. The garden is composed around a pond dominated by a large stone bridge studded with elements such as stone lanterns, yukitsuri, continuity of waterfalls from the stream.  In this way, The garden expresses the watery city of Niigata.  The garden was designed by the Comprehensive Design Institute.
    Toyanogata-13.jpg
  • Tonogayato Garden is a landscape type  garden in Kokubunji, Tokyo. It was built for the vice-president of Manchurian Railway.  In 1929 the estate was bought by the founder of Mitsubishi and is now owned by Tokyo Metropolitan Parks who maintain it.  There is a teahouse on the garden's grounds that can be rented for tea ceremony.
    tonogayato-8.jpg
  • Ginkakuji garden is famous for its cone shaped structure called the Kogetsudai or Moon Viewing Platform.  Many people assume it is meant to resemble Mount Fuji, while others believe it is meant to reflect divine light into hearts of viewers.  Soami, the famous landscape gardener designed the garden and buildings of Ginkaku-ji.  He is thought to have been the greatest garden designer in medieval Japan - having his name attached to a temple grants immediate distinction although there is no mention of the sand structure before renovations of the Edo period (almost 100 years after Soami's death).
    ginkakuji-6.jpg
  • Ginkakuji garden is famous for its cone shaped structure called the Kogetsudai or Moon Viewing Platform.  Many people assume it is meant to resemble Mount Fuji, while others believe it is meant to reflect divine light into hearts of viewers.  Soami, the famous landscape gardener designed the garden and buildings of Ginkaku-ji.  He is thought to have been the greatest garden designer in medieval Japan - having his name attached to a temple grants immediate distinction although there is no mention of the sand structure before renovations of the Edo period (almost 100 years after Soami's death).
    ginkakuji-4.jpg
  • Kodai-ji Temple is located at the foot of Higashiyama Ryozen Mountains in Kyoto. It is officially called Kodaiji Jushozenji Temple and was established in 1606.  Tokugawa Ieyasu - the first Tokugawa shogun - financed the construction of the temple resulting in its magnificent appearance.  Many of its buildings and tea houses.  Kodaiji's garden is said to have been designed by the landscape garden designer Kobori Enshu. The garden is designated by the Japanese Government as a historical site and a place of scenic beauty.  Kodaiji south garden is a karesansui or dry rock garden that features raked gravel punctuated by conical formations and surrounded by borders of moss and stone.
    kodaiji-3.jpg
  • Sanbo-in is a Buddhist temple in southern Kyoto, famous for the quality of its Japanese garden.  The garden is designed as a strolling garden with a large pond and several paths and bridges and said to contain over 700 stones.  One of the stones, called the Fujito, is said to have cost over 5,000 bushels of rice to obtain. Sanb-in is also a noteworthy illustration of a landscape garden which is designed for viewing from a specific perspective within a building. Laid out in the Momoyama period, the garden depicts "fortuitous crane," the "tortoise" and the "isle of eternal youth" poetic terms that identify specific ways in which stones and ponds are poised in a prescribed, esoteric relationship. .Toyotomi Hideyoshi designed this garden as a venue for an extravagant cherry blossom viewing party.  Sanbo-in is subtemple of Daigoji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Treasure of Japan. IMAGE UNAVAILABLE FOR SALE IN JAPAN
    sanbo-in-4.jpg
  • Shisendo is a so-called scholars garden in eastern Kyoto designed by Jozen Ishikawa as a personal retreat. Ishikawa was a scholar and landscape architect.  After he retired from samurai service he devoted the rest of his life to learning Chinese classics.  When he was 59 he built his masterpiece as a retirement villa which has come to be known as Shisendo.  The hermitage later became a Zen Buddhist templ of the Soto sect.
    shisendo-2.jpg
  • Toyanogata Park Garden is a Niigata city park located on the shores of Lake Toyanogata.  It is called Healing Garden by locals as it is a popular spot for jogging, yoga and tai chi events in the community.  Water has been integrated into the landscape taking advantage of its location on the shore of the lake, from Shukei Pond to the stream. The garden has three different types of bridges over the pond and streams. The garden is composed around a pond dominated by a large stone bridge studded with elements such as stone lanterns, yukitsuri, continuity of waterfalls from the stream.  In this way, The garden expresses the watery city of Niigata.  The garden was designed by the Comprehensive Design Institute.
    Toyanogata-11.jpg
  • Gyokusuien Garden - Gyokusuien is a pond-viewing garden with a view of the mountains behind it - the scale is like a strolling garden, created by Kinsaku Nakane. The garden located adjacent to the Tanimura Art Museum. Gyokusuien is a pond-viewing garden with a view of the mountains behind it - using Itoigawa’s natural landscape to create living art which grows and changes with each passing season.  Adjacent to the garden is the renowned Tanimura Art Museum, designed by modernist architect Togo Murano in collaboration with Nakane Kinsaku.  The two also collaborated on other projects: nearby Hisuien Jade Garden and Tenjuen in Niigata City.
    Gyokusuien-03.jpg
  • Westin Kyoto Garden  - The Aoiden Garden and Kasuien Garden were created by the 7th generation of Ogawa Jihei Ueji and his son - 8th generation  - Ogawa Shirayo a landscape architect representing modern Kyoto.  Kasuien was renovated in 2020 by Hiroshi Nakamura.  Originally, Kasuien is where the villa Kiyoura of the Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo in the Taisho era was built -  the garden was also created at the time of its construction. This is a pond garden that creates a stream by flowing water while making the best use of the natural bedrock and the unevenness of the rock wall.  Miyako Hotel is also close to Yamagata's villa. After the death of Kiyoura, it was donated to the Miyako Hotel, and the current Sukiya-style annex Kasuien was built by Togo Murano. The dry garden part of the white sand was added by Togo Murano.
    westin-kyoto-garden-3.jpg
  • Yoshiike Garden - Yoshiike Ryokan's garden has been planted with seasonal flowers, lying along a stream whose source is the Sukumo river. it was once the private villa of Yanosuke Iwasaki.  Adjacent to the villa a Japanese tea ceremony room Shinkou-An - both the villa and tea ceremony room is registered as the important cultural properties of Japan.  The Japanese garden incorporates borrowed scenery using the background landscape of mountains into the composition of the garden.
    yoshiike-garden-5.jpg
  • Tofukuji South Garden, in front of the Hojo is the most contrived work among the four gardens and is composed of rock compositions symbolizing Elysian islands - from the east to the west named "Eiju, Horai, Koryo, and Hojo" - placed on the sand garden floor "Hakkai" meaning the eight seas and five moss covered sacred mountains at the western end.  The garden was designed by renowned landscape architect Mirei Shigemori and considered to be one of his most important and representative works.
    tofukuji-south-11.jpg
  • Tofukuji South Garden, in front of the Hojo is the most contrived work among the four gardens and is composed of rock compositions symbolizing Elysian islands - from the east to the west named "Eiju, Horai, Koryo, and Hojo" - placed on the sand garden floor "Hakkai" meaning the eight seas and five moss covered sacred mountains at the western end.  The garden was designed by renowned landscape architect Mirei Shigemori and considered to be one of his most important and representative works.
    tofukuji-south-08.jpg
  • Kodai-ji Temple is located at the foot of Higashiyama Ryozen Mountains in Kyoto. It is officially called Kodaiji Jushozenji Temple and was established in 1606.  Tokugawa Ieyasu - the first Tokugawa shogun - financed the construction of the temple resulting in its magnificent appearance.  Many of its buildings and tea houses.  Kodaiji's garden is said to have been designed by the landscape garden designer Kobori Enshu. The garden is designated by the Japanese Government as a historical site and a place of scenic beauty.  Kodaiji south garden is a karesansui or dry rock garden that features raked gravel punctuated by conical formations and surrounded by borders of moss and stone.
    kodaiji-5.jpg
  • Sanbo-in is a Buddhist temple in southern Kyoto, famous for the quality of its Japanese garden.  The garden is designed as a strolling garden with a large pond and several paths and bridges and said to contain over 700 stones.  One of the stones, called the Fujito, is said to have cost over 5,000 bushels of rice to obtain. Sanb-in is also a noteworthy illustration of a landscape garden which is designed for viewing from a specific perspective within a building. Laid out in the Momoyama period, the garden depicts "fortuitous crane," the "tortoise" and the "isle of eternal youth" poetic terms that identify specific ways in which stones and ponds are poised in a prescribed, esoteric relationship. .Toyotomi Hideyoshi designed this garden as a venue for an extravagant cherry blossom viewing party.  Sanbo-in is subtemple of Daigoji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Treasure of Japan.IMAGE UNAVAILABLE FOR SALE IN JAPAN
    sanbo-in-7.jpg
  • Ninomaru garden was designed by the famous landscape architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu. It is located between the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.  Nijo Castle and its garden are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Ninomaru garden was designed by the famous landscape architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu. It is located between the two main rings of fortifications, next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees.  Nijo Castle and its garden are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
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