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temple gardens

The sight of a gently curving tiled roof against a pine tree is a symbol of the beauty of Japan. In spite of the frenzy of real estate building and rebuilding, such sights still abound, and Japanese cities are dotted with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines both large and small. Most of these have gardens, since the idea of nature worship has been an integral part of Japan’s religious traditions.

The temples’ garden designs have had defining influence on secular garden designs in the past, and that continues today. Several important concepts in Japanese gardens were perfected in temple gardens featured here, such as karesansui dry landscape gardens in Ryoan-ji, the trendsetting use of stones in Shinju-an, and innovative use of lanterns in Koto-in. Although many of these gardens have been reduced in size, they continue to provide a poignant way to understand how cutting edge modernity and age-old traditions live side by side in Japan.

Ikegami Honmon-ji

Tokyo

Nichiren was one of the most influential and controversial Buddhist monks during the Kamakura period, and inspired the founding of several Lotus Sutra sects that are active to this day. He died at the home of a wealthy disciple named Munenaka Ikegami on October 13, 1282. Munenaka commemorated the master’s death by donating 69,384 tsubo (about 231,000 square meters) of land located west of Tokyo, to match the number of letters in the Lotus Sutra text. It is on this land that the temple and garden of Ikegami Honmon-ji and the headquarters of the Nichiren sect stand today.

The temple complex has several buildings including the main gate, the main temple, a five-storied pagoda, and a sutra repository. The garden called Syoto-in lies behind the main temple. This garden is said to have been designed by Enshu Kobori (1579–1647), a powerful feudal lord of the Edo period who was also a great tea master, an architect, a calligrapher and a gardener. He is often compared to Leonardo da Vinci for his many talents. Enshu’s aesthetics and style of tea is called kirei sabi, and reflects the stoically simple and rustic concept of wabi sabi, combined with the grace and beauty reminiscent of the Heian aristocratic period.

The stone shapes selected for the various parts of this garden differ to appear as natural as possible. Whereas large jagged stones have been used at the tops of the hills, softer rounded stones have been used in the lower part of the garden near the water.

A good view of the entire garden can be seen from the building. The pond is fed by a man-made mountain stream. The miniaturized suhama pebble beach in the foreground seeks to mimic nature. The large stones were brought here from a mountain valley. The stone lantern called yukimi doro, seen on the left, is situated on the water’s edge, as is usual at garden ponds.

The Syoto-in garden features carefully placed ornamental objects like toro (stone lanterns).

This garden was the site of an important historic event when Honmon-ji temple became the new government headquarters at the end of the Edo period. It was in an arbor here that Kaisyu Katsu of the Edo forces surrendered the Edo castle to Takamori Saigo, the general of the victorious Meiji forces. Another historic relic buried in this garden is the set of brushes of the famed Meiji period painter Gahou Hashimoto, in a brush mound called Fude-zuka.

The present Syoto-in garden was repaired in 1991, but maintains the spirit of its original design. The 13,000-square-meter area of the garden includes a man-made mountain stream and a large pond. With the green hills as its background, the peaceful pond is home to many species of fish and birds. The garden is meant for strolling, as well as to present a picture-perfect view from the living room of the main temple. Its notable features include a suhama, a popular feature in Japanese gardens that mimics a white pebble beach jutting into the water. Other features include toro (stone lanterns), a special fish-viewing platform made of a single stone, an island of turtle and crane stones symbolizing longevity, and a semicircular arched bridge at the mouth of the river.

The garden also has four tea houses of various sizes, and an arbor. All of its original buildings were destroyed during World War II. After the war the house of Dona Ono, a ceramicist of the Meiji and Showa periods, was moved here, while other buildings were rebuilt. These buildings and the garden can accommodate up to a thousand people for a tea ceremony.

The ravine and mountain stream behind the pond were designed to evoke unkempt nature in contrast to the manicured garden in front. This hilly area is remarkable for its large craggy rocks, and flowers planted randomly to simulate wild mountain flowers. Like a typical Japanese garden, this garden seeks to mimic natural landscape, and is quite successful in doing so; one can get the feeling of walking deep in the mountains, while still being in the middle of the bustling city of Tokyo.

This arbor named “Shogetsu Tei” is located in the western part of the garden. Tea ceremonies are held here using chairs rather than having guests sit on tatami mats as is customary.

Bamboos are a popular plant in Japanese gardens. Fresh bamboo shoots symbolize life force and vigor, since some varieties grow as fast as one notch a day.

This lantern is a hybrid type. While its top stone has volutes of the Kasuga style, it is planted directly into the ground without a base stone, a feature typical of Oribe lanterns. The orb on top of the lantern symbolizes the jewel of Buddhist learning.

There are 27 stone lanterns in this garden. The oldest one dates from the end of the Edo period.

This small raccoon dog sculpture is unusual in that it is made of stone whereas most popular raccoon garden ornaments are made of pottery.

The garden path that runs along the pond has been designed so that one can enjoy a different view at every turn, adding to the feeling of expansiveness. The many crested iris (syaga) flowers here make this garden a popular destination in early summer.

The approach path culminates at the rustic thatched gate of Honen-in temple. The gate has been raised above the ground level so that one has to walk up and down a few steps to go past it. The higher elevation provides a good view of the raked pattern on the sand mounds as one enters the temple.

Honen-in

Kyoto