Home - Shooz-on, Shooz-of – The Shinkansen Guide to Kyoto Gardens
The glory of the acers in a lingering Kyoto fall is unsurpassed - this article endeavours to add some colour to this magical palette from a slightly novel perspective. I had the good fortune to join the Japanese Garden Society’s momiji tour to Kyoto during mid November and visited countless gardens, several castles and many temples in 6 cities on both coasts in two weeks – the shoes were running shoes! I photographed some 60 sites with many temples sporting 4 or 5 gardens - at Koko-en there were 9 separate enclosed gardens, so much so I am struggling with photographers finger (RSI of the shutter release digit).
A historical view of Japanese gardens gives us to believe that gardens developed as paradise gardens on the Chinese model, modified to suit Japanese court taste, until the dark years of civil wars which saw the destruction of many symbols of feudal power, including gardens and their survival in symbolic form in Buddhist temples. These quite differing garden styles lead to other specific sub-styles of the tea garden and courtyard gardens. Our visit included public parks, museums and merchants houses and the true tsubo-niwa. All these garden styles are well represented in the Kyoto area, which was the countries’ capital at the height of early garden development and may be viewed in one of two ways – with the shoes on or shoes off.
Shooz-on viewing mainly involves parks, stroll gardens and the occasional Shinto shrine (few have gardens) whereas Shooz-of viewing takes place in the many temple gardens of the various Buddhist sects, taken with or without tea in the Cha-no-yu (high speed tea ceremony). The gardens are generally viewed from the temple verandas. Considering that some temples have many hundreds visitors a day, it is surprising that the shoes left in the entrance racks are all claimed by their rightful owners. Temple naming has its own obfuscation with the suffices used, be they ji’s, in’s, an’s or en’s. The ji suffix is normally used to describe a main temple complex, which can include many sub temples suffixed – in, as with Daitoku-ji with it’s renowned sub temple Daisen-in. The an & en suffices are often associated with villas and other public gardens.
Kyoto lies in a valley surrounded on three sides by rugged tree covered mountains with bamboos, maples, cherries and cryptomarias. The foothills on the outskirts of the city, where the summer air is a little cooler and less humid, is the home of many of the temples, shrines and villas. There are reputed to be some 1600 temples and shrines in the Kyoto area alone, about half having gardens; with the commercial outlook of the monks, this gives plenty of scope for visiting gardens – you will have deduced these are not free entry. Some of the villas are state owned and free but require pre-booking and presentation of a passport.
Temples are typically enclosed in a traditional capped wall and surrounded on most sides by small gardens. The southerly facing garden is usually a dry landscape style viewed from the temple veranda, where the monks could sit in contemplation – ‘watching rocks grow’ was good training. The westerly or northerly gardens often contained more in the way of planting and perhaps a teahouse with a small tea garden.
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Reiun-in temple garden in Kyoto |
The garden of Reiun-in, a sub-temple of Tofuku-ji is an excellent example of a temple garden with Iai-seki (sword stone) representing Mt Shumisen, the holy mountain where the Buddha resides, complete with a holy stone surrounded by raked white sand circles with small green hill and other stones representing a waterfall. The picture shows the sword stone and hill with Kasuga lantern and pagoda. The dry landscape garden continues through to the westerly aspect with many lanterns, exquisite cloud cut trees and mound pruned azaleas, some slightly more modern curbing of half round roof tiling and raked gravel patterns.
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Kohrin-in temple garden in Kyoto |
A typical northerly aspect garden at Kohrin-in illustrates the use of acers to create a shaded yin environment in which the moss will thrive, enlightened by the azaleas in Spring. The sun, here seen playing on the acers in a riot of colour of burnished golds and reds.
The final element is usually the sombre, yellow ochre walled cha-shitsu with its low entrance, preparation area, alcove with ikebana and scroll. The teahouse is small, generally between 2 and 4½ tatami mats in size (1 mat = about 2 square yards/metres) but sufficient for 5 guests. The dark subdued garden is laid out with a water basin, lanterns and difficult winding path. A yotsume-gake fence and bamboo entrance completes the scene for the cha-no-yu ceremony.
In contrast stroll gardens have grand entrances with flowing water, ponds and bridges in a more open aspect with outstanding views both hidden and presented to the viewer en passant.
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Shugaku-in Imperial Villa garden in Kyoto |
At such points pavilions are sited, enabling the courtesans to enjoy the view and take in the ambience. It was in these gardens that the acers were to be seen in context and at their best. The imperial gardens at Katsura, Shugaku-in and the Sento palace where particularly colourful. The picture shows the gravel path through the lower villa garden at Shugaku-in with leaf strewn moss and ponded water. Note the use of bamboo hoops to define the path edge –a feature seen in many gardens. A walk through a clipped pine avenue (mature 8’-10’ specimens) led up the hill (Mt Hiei), through the azaleas to the cloud touching pavilion. The renowned view of the dragon bathing pond with its beautiful tree covered islands, bridges and trees was revealed, resplendent in their autumn finery.
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Shugaku-in Imperial Villa garden in Kyoto |
The picture shows an excellent illustration of the use of shakkei with the adjacent and distant hillsides forming a natural part of the composition. No doubt the pond was used for boating and the pavilion for poetry reading – an enchanting setting for such literary stimulation.
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Agon-shu Monastery garden near Kyoto |
A particular garden for special mention is that of the Agon-shu monastery, majestic in polished cedar and gold, perched high on a mountain top for it has a spell-binding garden. We were taken on a journey of enlightenment from the monastery we descended many steep steps to the bottom garden complete with mountain stream in full spate, dashing down the steep slope from 100’ above. The path climbs the arduous slope through mossy glades, clipped pines and glorious acers, viewing bridges and more tranquil areas of water. It was difficult to believe that this was the lifetime’s work of an earthly creator.
The journey took us to the second level of the monastery, following a spillway out into the next sunlit vista of ponds, bridges and colourful embankment gardens, complete with dry landscape corners and lollipop clipped cryptomarias. The colour of the acers merged with the trunks of red pines framed by their dark green canopy.
This garden did not finished here, as there was a third step to heaven, where the pathway winds through the garden, over the bridge and up a final section of woodland and mountain stream to Buddha herself, whose bronze image surveyed the scene from her mountain top lotus. This garden was outstanding; each section better than the last in both colour, texture and form. Our tour concluded with cha and tour of the main hall with lavish alter and huge drum which was duly demonstrated and no doubt felt throughout the entire complex such was the amplitude and resonance. Our normally noisy group were somewhat overawed and lost for words on this visit.
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Agon-shu Monastery garden near Kyoto |
So many gardens deserve mention, but pride of place must be reserved for the Adachi Museum gardens at Yasugi, near Matsue on the north coast some 3½ hours away by Shinkansen (high speed bullet) and Thunderbird (local express) trains.
This garden is a modern garden viewed by strolling through the museum complex with art on one side and garden art on the other side.
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Adachi Museum garden at Yasugi, near Matsue |
The garden compositions are framed by the large picture windows of the museum. The picture shows the typical clipped azaleas shown against a fine white gravel and rocks with stunted pines behind. The distant hillside creates a backdrop to the composition.
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Adachi Museum garden at Yasugi, near Matsue |
These pictures show the great beauty of these gardens with their massive rock arrangements, wonderfully clipped, bonsaied pines and skilful use of shakkei to include the hillside as part of the composition. The lower photograph shows a distant exposed rock face and manmade waterfall with more stunted pines on the hillside several hundred yards away. The full museum garden complex included a moss and water garden together with substantial teahouse and garden to say nothing of the fine art on the other side of the museum walls.
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Adachi Museum garden at Yasugi, near Matsue |
Kyoto is a world centre of garden excellence and well worth a visit whether you are interested in gardens or temple architecture, culture or just wish to share the peace and tranquillity. Just grab the camera, buy lots of film, throw away those holey socks or just keep your shoes on and go.
This article was written by David Burgess of Jade Pavilions.
Copyright Jade Pavilions 2005.
Manufacturers of award winning, configurable oriental teahouses, pavilions, bridges and entrances. More information about Jade Pavilions.
