Other Japanese gardens-2

Kamakura period (1185-1336) and Muromachi period (1336-1573)

Nearly all gardens that have survived, belong to palaces and temples. Many of those temples originally were villa’s of retired emperors or of princes. That is also the case with Nanzen-in, founded by emperor Kameyama in 1274. The garden is smaller than those discussed before, and lies next to two sides of the temple building. The pond is much more elongated than the earlier ponds and it follows the L-shape of the garden. It is said that it has the shape of a dragon. The garden is typical for the late Kamakura period. It is possible to walk around the pond and the waterfall, along the mountain wall rising behind the left part of the garden. This part is quite fascinating. A relatively large and carefully constructed island, the waterfall in the semidarkness, the slope at the rear. Beautiful to look at from the veranda and from the rear.

Next we will have a look at Tenryū-ji from 1339. The temple was founded in memory of emperor Godaigo, on the spot where earlier was a villa of Prince Kaneakira (914-987) and later of emperor Kameyama. The design is Musō Soseki’s, also called Kokushi. He was the first abbot. It was rather exceptional that he would occupy himself with such things, because working with stones was considered to be for the people of the lowest social rank, the outcasts. The priests of Ninna-ji were also involved in the making of gardens, but they did not get much esteem for that. Musō was highly respected and people accepted his activities, perhaps also because he could give them a place in his Zen-philosophy. Kokushi means Teacher of the nation.                                                                                      

A magnificent garden. Very attractive are the slanting peninsulas behind the nantei. Fascinating rocks, splendidly positioned. Plants varied and well kept, the different shapes in the right place. In the outer garden also are beautiful parts: behind the pond, on the hill, one can have a pleasant walk along a deep-lying streamlet, looking out on huge bamboos and on the buildings with their impressive roofs. Coming down there is again a wonderful stream with carps.                                                                                                                     

In front of the entrance of the temple a new garden was made by Saburō Sone in 1986. It measures only 64 m². He saw it as a challenge to make a powerful garden that would be in keeping with the tradition of the temple and the main garden behind the building. It became a Zen-garden symbolizing the Island of Eternal Youth. He used very large and tall rocks to express his ideas, which are complicated. There is also a group of stones representing the three Buddha’s. One may see the white sand as a representation of the clouds above which the mountains rise. Sone aspires to achieve the effect of a drawing in black ink.  

Sometimes the only thing left of a garden from these periods is a path. In Tenju-an, a temple that went through times of neglect and restoration, the path from 1338 has survived. Now it is the most interesting part in a gravel garden with rocks and plants. If one sees the path as fundamental for human life, it elicits a smile to find a path of importance in a Zen garden. 

Of course there were also temples in areas with little space for gardens. Yet there are often well tended courtyards with a pure atmosphere and fine details. Tōkei-ji from 1285, for example, that lies against a mountain slope in Kitakamakura near Tōkyō. This temple is better known as Enkiri-dera or divorce temple. It was founded by the widow of regent Hōjō Tokimune, as a refuge for the victims of unhappy marriages. Women in contrast to men could not get a divorce, but if they could reach this temple they were considered divorced after three years (later two).

 In the period that he designed Tenryū-ji Musō Soseki was also active at another place. A few years earlier he was appointed head-priest of Saihō-ji, that was in decline. On a section of land at the foot of a hill he made a garden with a large pond. The three islands are among themselves and with the shore connected by natural looking bridges. Up the hill is a karesansui with a turtle island and a waterfall. Centuries later the number of monks in the temple was reduced so drastically, that in the 17^th century only one monk was living there. In that time the moss that gives the garden its magical appearance now, must have taken command. In autumn the place is ablaze with colours because of the many maples.  

At Saihō-ji, there used to be a famous pavilion with several floors, Ruriden. 
After having handed over his office to his son in 1394 Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu obtained a large terrain on which stood a temple fallen into disrepair. The old name is Rokuon-ji, the Temple of the Deer park. Now the place is known as Kinkaku-ji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion. The Ruriden served as a model for the Golden Pavilion. They aimed to keep the bones of Buddha there. (Where they came from is not clear to us.) The Golden Pavilion lies on a beautiful pond, the Mirror-lake pond. The islands in the pond are seen as symbols of Buddhist cosmology, in which figure nine mountains and eight oceans. The garden attracts masses of people, but we still experienced the magic of the mirroring lake with the enchanting islands. Most visitors stay in one corner. The whole garden is as shining as the Golden Pavilion.

Almost a century later, in 1482, Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa had a villa built that was afterwards going to be named Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. Again there is a pavilion with several floors, but in contrast to Kinkaku-ji it is not covered with the silver that gave it its name. After the death of Yoshimasa the villa became a temple with the name Jishō-ji. The garden lies below and up a mountain slope. You can walk all around it and you should, because only then you can see the different elements in their context. The fine buildings, the sand structures in the middle – silver sand lake and silver mountain – and the pond garden. And the wonderful view over Ginkaku-ji and Kyōto stretching out behind it. The maintenance is perfect. Try to be there as early in the day as possible, for the garden does not bear the crowds as well as Kinkaku-ji.

Rikugi-en. Tōkyō :  Construction started in 1695. A park of a little less than 8.8 hectares, lying in the city but in a part with not too tall buildings and having a lot of large trees along its edges. The central pond, the stream, the miniature mountains and the plants together create 88 scenes described in famous waka (31-syllable poems). The island in the middle (Naka-no-shima) is rather big, it carries 2 little mountains and a rock associated with the first 2 gods of Japanese myth: Izanagi and Izanami. There is also an island consisting of 3 rocks, called Hōrai-jima and said to be shaped as a turtle. To us it looked like a certain caterpillar, a spanworm or looper, and we liked it very much that morning, seeing it in a bit misty atmosphere. The garden is very well taken care of, the shapes are predominantly rounded, everything is nice and beautiful. The dark corner of the garden where the waterfall is has quite a different character. The rocks have strange forms, almost animal-like, we found it fascinating but sombre.