About Japanese Rock Gardens

History

• The evidence of Japanese gardens dates back to the reign of Empress Suiko, around 592 A.D. However, it's thought that the art of Japanese gardens dates even further back as the gardens from the Suiko reign were already highly sophisticated, containing ornamental pools and rock features. It wasn't until the Kamakura period (1185-1392) that the trend for gardens for meditation came about after Buddhist monks started to build gardens. In the Muromachi and Higashiyama period (1392-1573), gardens began to be created solely out of stone, with different stones representing various aspects of nature.

Features

• The primary features of the Japanese rock garden are a sandpit containing gravel, sand and rock. The sand in these rock gardens is representative of the sea and is raked to create a watery, ripple effect. While these rock gardens, also called karensansui or "dry water" style, may contain some plants, it is not typical. Because the intent is for meditation, the garden will usually have an area for a person to sit and meditate. There may also be stepping stones, which typically represent the journey through life.

Meaning

• There are generally five different stone types used in Japanese rock gardens. The Reishoki is a vertical stone with a wide base and thinner top and is known as the soul stone. The body stone is another larger vertical stone and represents both a person and god. Being one of the most prominent stones, its placement determines the flow of the garden. The heart stone is a flat stone and is used to harmonize the vertical stones. Shigyoseki is the arching stone that ties the two vertical and flat stones together. The ox stone is smaller than the arching stone but not as small as the flat stone, and it unifies the other stones.

  The diseased stone, the dead stone and the pauper stone are avoided in Japanese rock gardens.

Zen Elements

• Rock gardens originate from the Zen Buddhist need for gardens as a place for meditation. Six major elements of Zen can be found within the karensansui. Asymmetry is a major element in both the garden and Zen thought; it goes with the idea that imbalance is what creates movement in the world. Simplicity is another theme found in Zen gardens. Mystery is a major principle of Zen and can be found in the garden represented by winding paths. Venerability can be seen through the use of weathered wood or an old stone. Otherworldliness or a sense of wonder should also be incorporated into the garden, as should a sense of peace and calm.

Ryoan-ji

• The most famous of the rock gardens in Japan is at Ryoan-ji. It is 30 m long and 10 m wide. The garden contains 15 large rocks in a bed of white, raked gravel. The makers incorporated the Zen element of mystery by designing the garden so that visitors can only see 14 of the 15 stones regardless of the angle at which they view the garden.