Japanese gardens make use of natural materials to create scenery and landscapes like one might find in the natural world. They differ significantly from the geometrically shaped gardens like those seen at the Palace of Versailles in France.
The design of Japanese gardens also varies depending on a variety of conditions, such as the social climate, geographical features, local weather, and with particular focus on the government of the time in which they were created. For example, during the Heian period (794-1184), when the country was ruled by the Emperor and the nobility in Kyoto, gardens were created which presented the solemn landscapes in line with the ideals of Pure Land Buddhism, such as the garden in front of the Phoenix Hall at the Byodo-in temple.
In the Muromachi period (1338-1573), the Ashikaga clan established its shogunate government in Kyoto. The clan used the famous Kinkakuji-temple as a villa and had a colorful garden in the perceived Chinese dynastic style created there. The garden’s pond contains stones which represent the nine mountains and eight seas said to surround Mt. Meru, believed to be the center of the world in Buddhist thought. Dry stone gardens at Zen temples were also created during the Muromachi period, like the Hojo garden at the Ryoan-ji temple in Kyoto.
During the Edo period (1603-1867), the capital of Edo was ruled by the Tokugawa samurai clan. Edo contained some 1,000 estates for the various feudal lords from across the country to live in. These lords took the vast grounds given to them by the shogun and built gardens around their mansions – these gardens are called daimyo teien, or “feudal lord gardens,” in Japanese. In fact, during the Edo period, more gardens were created in Edo (now Tokyo) than in Kyoto, despite the latter’s fame for its gardens.
The gardens of the feudal lords in Edo were characterized by having large ponds established in their center, with paths going around it for visitors to enjoy strolling through – this type of garden is called a kaiyushiki teien, or “circuit-style garden,” in Japanese*. These gardens were the theme parks of the lords of Japan; planted with the most fashionable garden plants of the day, they were designed to recreate the favorite landscapes of the lords who had them built, such as sights from Kyoto, China, and famous Japanese waka poems. They not only entertained the lords who owned them, however; the gardens also served as spaces for exchange and play with the shogun, other lords, retainers, and visiting nobility from Kyoto.
Today, one can still enjoy Edo period feudal lord gardens in Tokyo, such as Hama-rikyu Gardens, Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden, Kiyosumi Garden, Rikugien Garden, and Koishikawa Korakuen Garden.
