The Japanese Garden uses ponds, streams, islands and hills to recreate a miniature version of the natural landscape. This summarizes the most important and most used elements of Japanese garden art.
Even in ancient times, the stones played a very important role in Japanese culture. In Shinto, the native belief, the large stones are revered as kami, or the holy spirits of Shinto. The river stones were used to mark sacred places. Nowadays the elements are usually large stones that symbolize mountains and hills and asdecorative accentsbe used for bridges and paths. Smaller stones are used to frame ponds and streams. There are now dry gardens made entirely of stones. The large stones represent mountains, islands and waterfalls and the small river stones represent the water.
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The ponds are some of the central elements and very often represent lakes and seas. Sometimes the ponds are a home for koi carp, which bring additional life and vitality to the garden. In the dry gardens, the ponds and streams are represented by small river stones and sang. In the Japanese Gardens, which serve as theme parks, the ponds can be used for boating to reach the beautiful pavilions on the islands in the middle of the pond.
The islands are another of the long-standing elements of Japanese garden art. Their size varies from a single stone to large islands where there is enough space for buildings. They often represent real islands or have a religious meaning. Some islands represent turtles and cranes, which represent longevity and health. The bridges are another very common element that connect the island and cross ponds and streams. The bridges are often made of stone or wood and have varying levels of complexity.
Trees, bushes, meadows and flowers are also frequently used accents. Plants like maple and cherry are often selected for their beautiful blooms and colors in particular seasons. Conversely, pine, bamboo and plum are particularly valued for their beauty in winter, when the other plants are, so to speak, dormant. The moss is also used particularly frequently. The plants are arranged very carefully in the garden to mimic a natural landscape. The plants receive exceptional care and care and are always kept clean and fresh. In winter, the delicate vegetation is thoroughly protected from the cold by every means possible.
Larger gardens, particularly the theme parks of the Edo period, contain large man-made mounds. These hills are symbols of real or mystical mountains. From the top of the hill you can enjoy the breathtaking view.
The lanterns have different sizes and shapes. In most cases, the lanterns are made of stone and placed in specially pre-selected places, such as islands and near important buildings, where they can provide light and aesthetics. The lanterns are very often combined with water basins, which when put together represent a main component of the Japanese tea house.
In many Japanese gardens you can see stone water basins called tsukubai. This element is part of the tea ceremony and is used for ritual purification. The water basins come in different shapes. Some have simple designs and others are engraved with complex decoration. Nowadays, in most cases, they have more traditional than practical value.
The path is also one of the most important design elements. They are most commonly used in amusement parks and tea gardens. In the amusement parks there are mainly circular paths with steps made of stone, sometimes covered with sand or small river stones. The paths are carefully considered to lead visitors to the most important and beautiful places. The paths are often used to separate individual areas so that they are perceived as individual areas.
Many types of gardens are set up to be viewed from inside the home. The gardens are intended to be viewed and entered from the interior. That's why the buildings are often seen as part of the garden, including pavilions, thea houses and guest houses.
Borrowed landscape is an important concept of the Japanese garden - incorporating the background landscape outside of the garden indoors into the garden design. Natural objects such as mountains and hills, as well as artificial objects such as castles or castles, can be used as borrowed landscapes. Nowadays, the high-rise buildings and skyscrapers have become a common interior for the borrowed landscape.
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