The Art of the Japanese Garden. David Young
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Contrast between a cut stone lantern and one that, except for the housing, is made of natural rocks. The housing, in which a candle or an oil lamp traditionally was placed, is usually made of stone. In this natural stone lantern at Sanzenin Temple, however, the housing is made of wood.
Pagodas
Evolved from the Indian stupa, pagodas commemorate the death of the historical Buddha, Shakamuni. When constructed on the grounds of Buddhist temples, they generally are large wooden buildings with an uneven number of floors. Garden pagodas, however, are smaller stone structures that have a purely decorative function. They are often placed along streams and ponds so their images can be reflected in the water or erected on artificial hills to provide a focal point.
Statues
Like votive lamps and pagodas, Buddhist statues normally have religious functions and meanings. Used in a secular garden, such statues may be the object of a certain amount of reverence but their function is basically decorative. While statues in the gardens of Buddhist temples are often made of bronze, stone statues tend to predominate in secular gardens.
A few examples of the many types of stone lanterns:
anigatsudō style pedestal type
bplanet style pedestal type (rustic)
cplanet style buried shaft type
dmile post style buried shaft type
eoribe style buried shaft type (rustic)
fthree-legged style snow scene type
gfour-legged style snow scene type
h–j three styles of small “set” type
Water Basins
Water pitchers originally used by tea guests to purify their hands prior to a tea ceremony developed into water basins (tsukubai). They are usually made of stone but can be of other materials such as bronze. Water is introduced to the basin through a bamboo pipe (kakei). Though most commonly found in tea gardens, water basins are also used in other types of gardens where they provide a subtle visual touch by reflecting the sky or nearby vegetation. The main difference between the basins found in tea gardens and those in other gardens is that the former are placed close to the ground (tsukubai means “crouching basin”) on a partially buried stone rather than on a pedestal.
Shishi Odoshi
A shishi odoshi consists of a length of bamboo centered over a pivot, with the closed end of the bamboo resting on a stone and the other (open) end tipped up. A pipe feeds water into the open end until the bamboo is heavy enough to drop, releasing its contents onto a graveled patch of ground, basin or stream. The bamboo then returns to its original position, hitting the stone with a “thunk.” The movement and sound of this device, usually called a “deer scare,” originally were used by farmers to frighten away deer and wild boar. The shishi odoshi emphasizes the importance of appealing to all five senses when designing a garden.
Water basin with a ladle resting on bamboo supports, fed by water through a bamboo pipe.
Decorative water basin with an unusual floral shape.
Tea garden water basin set close to the ground.
Millstone transformed into a water basin.
Stone water basin surrounded by multi-level greenery.
Bamboo reflected in a cut stone water basin.
ISLANDS, HILLS AND PAVILIONS
When we think of Japanese gardens, images of mountains and flowing rivers come to mind. Japanese gardens, however, also contain more passive and quiet elements. For example, islands and gently sloping hills provide contrast and balance, just as yin complements yang. A variety of structures, such as pavilions and teahouses, have their own role to play in terms of providing places to rest, to enjoy refreshments and to view the surroundings.
Islands
There is an elaborate classification system for islands based upon shape or special features, such as “mountain isles,” “forest isles,” “bare-beach isles” and “cloud-shaped isles.” In addition to helping create different kinds of landscapes, islands can have more specialized functions such as preventing the pond from being seen as a whole—an example of the “hide-and-reveal” technique discussed elsewhere in the book.
Suizenji Garden in Kumamoto, one of the most beautiful stroll gardens in Japan, is noted for its grass-covered hills, such as the ones shown here, as well as a miniaturized Mount Fuji shown to the left of the photo on pages 138–9.
Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) on islets of the pond at Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), Kyoto.
Islands often have symbolic meanings and sacred functions. For example, islands are used to represent the mountainous “isles of bliss” where the immortals live (hōrai islands associated with Taoism, or the crane and turtle islands so ubiquitous in stroll gardens); the sea-enclosed mountain at the center of the universe (Mount Sumeru, or Shumisen, in Sanskrit and Buddhist thought); or Nakajima (“island in the center”) representing the Western Paradise of Pure Land Buddhism. Since these sacred islands were located in a pond representing the sea, they normally were not connected to land by a bridge but had to be reached by boat.
In contrast to ponds representing sacred isles in the sea, ponds can also represent lakes used for recreational purposes as in the Shinden style gardens of aristocrats in the Nara and Heian periods. Such ponds usually have two or more islands connected to each other and to the rest of the garden by bridges.
Islands vary considerably in size depending upon their role in the overall composition as well as the size of the pond. Some islands are large enough to contain a hill (see below) and to be planted with trees whereas other islands may consist of only one or two rocks.
South Pond, Kikugetsutei tea-house, Engetsukyō Bridge and the borrowed scenery of Mount