The Japanese garden depicts spiritual and philosophical ideas rooted in the national religion of Shintoism and Buddhism. It represents the beauty of nature, the fragility of existence and the passage of time.
Water is an important element in Japanese gardens: physically in the form of a pond or a stream, or symbolically as white gravel or sand. The white colour symbolises purity. In Buddhism, water is seen as a yin element that, together with the yang element, forms the two complementary opposites.
The yang element is presented by rocks in Japanese gardens.
Bridges symbolise the path to paradise and immortality. They can be made of stone or wood, are curved or flat.
The stone lanterns represent the five elements of Buddhist philosophy. The bottom section symbolises earth, the section above it symbolises water, the next (the section around the flame) depicts fire, then comes the air section and the top section represents spirit. The segments of the lanterns express the idea that our physical body will return to its original elements after death.
Although Japanese gardens look very natural, nothing is left to chance. Each plant is chosen based on aesthetic principles.
Evergreen plants form the 'skeleton' of the garden. Trees are chosen for their blossom, autumn colours and winter silhouettes. Flower types are chosen based on their flowering season. Some plants are chosen for their religious symbolism, such as the lotus as a sacred symbol in Buddhism. Moss symbolises time.
Common plants in Japanese gardens are Japanese cherry, maple, camellia, azalea, pine and bamboo.
The Japanese garden is asymmetrical and meant to be walked through. The garden gradually unfolds like a scroll.
