Many mistakenly identify Chinese and Japanese garden styles. In fact, they are completely different, although not without common elements. Today we will talk in more detail about the Japanese style.
A distinctive feature of the classical Japanese style – stone structures. This is connected with the sacred Mount Fuji, and with the sacred stones from Japanese monasteries, and even the religion of the ancient Japanese, in whose pantheon there were also stones. The Japanese preached the Shinto religion, which translates as “spirituality of nature”, but emigrants from China brought their own culture – the ideas of Confucianism and the desire for harmony with nature. Two cultures intertwined and gave rise to the development of mythology, literature, philosophy of the Land of the Rising Sun, and also influenced gardening art. At first, the artificial hills created were very similar to elements of the Chinese style, but gradually the Japanese developed their own unique garden style.
The penchant for minimalism and the limited territory of the country have greatly influenced the gardens of Japan. Unlike the Chinese, they do not have a large green area. In fact, a Japanese garden is a picture of the world in a small area. It is characterized by miniature bonsai trees and undersized plants. Each element carries a particular symbolic meaning, which is derived from an amazing combination of ancient Japanese paganism, Buddhism and Confucianism. For example, a lotus in a Japanese garden is a symbol of wisdom, camellia – caution, sakura – spiritual beauty, and pine – longevity. A Japanese landscape design specialist is not just a florist and decorator, he is a connoisseur of religion and history.
Things to Consider When Designing a Japanese Garden? The semantic center of the composition is always stones, symbolizing the masculine Yang, and water, symbolizing the feminine Yin. Trees also need to be arranged in a special way. Oak should be in the middle of the garden composition, and maple should be on the west side.
In general, in the Japanese garden there is a certain dominant element, according to which the territory is called – a garden of stones, seasons, water, etc.d. Such an element is always in the center.