There was a mystery. Before heading off for Heathrow I drew up a list of the ‘important’ gardens and tried to locate them on a map of Kyoto. I noticed that most were on the outskirts of the city. Why?
Viewing Kyoto from the 9th-floor window of my hotel room, the answer was obvious. The city is built on a flat plain, surrounded by high, wooded mountains. The gardens had been made where the plain meets the hills. This makes sense. The flat part of the garden is ideal for buildings, lakes and a formal entrance. Then the garden can run uphill, adding interest with steps and winding pathways, and there is the possibility of a good view. And if you choose the right spot, you could even have a natural spring to make a waterfall and fill your lake. The garden-makers of old Kyoto chose wisely.
But first we started at the Nijo-ji, built in 1603 as the residence of the Shogun. This is actually in central Kyoto, and conveniently situated near our hotel. Here it was the buildings that entranced. Single-storey, made from massive timbers, and stunning in their simplicity, with tatami-mat floors, and the most exquisite walls of painted, gilded screens. What restraint – less is more when it is done with such panache. As you walk, the floors make a slight squeaking sound. This was designed to warn the guards of anyone approaching. Then, over then next four days, clutching our bus-passes, Jae and I headed out to various points of the city – north-east, north-west and south, as well as a longer train trip out to Nara.
I’m not going to write a detailed account of all our adventures. Rather I would prefer to make some general notes on what we found. I’m acutely aware of my woefully inadequate knowledge of the gardens and the immensely rich culture that informs them. I can only write about my personal response – what I learned from the experience.
My understanding is that the ancient Shinto religion reveres nature – each tree, mountain, rock or lake possesses its own spirit. This, in turn has influenced the development of Zen Buddhism with its emphasis on meditative practice, so that many of the best-known gardens surround Buddhist temples. The gardens represent an idealised form of nature and are designed to evoke a feeling of peace and tranquility.
There are two main kinds of garden: the Stroll Garden (which you walk round) and the Viewing Garden (which you contemplate). I will write about these in my next posts.
In the meantime here are a few more photos of the garden details, which are so fascinating to the Western viewer.
pennyburnfield 