The Garden Visitor

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Category Archives: Japan

Kyoto 1 – Hakusasonou Stroll Garden

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Karen Blaylock

I have always enjoyed visiting artists’ gardens because they often give an insight into a different view of the world; such as Monet’s garden at Giverny and Barbara Hepworth’s at St Ives. In the early 20th century the famous Japanese … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Hashimoto Kansetsu, Japan, Japanese Stroll Garden, Kyoto

Kyoto 2 – Ginkaku-Ji – The Silver Pavilion

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
Ginkaku-ji’s Dry Garden

The twists and turns in the life of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who built the Silver Pavilion, would have made a good Shakespearean tragedy. He never expected to be the Shogun (the feudal military dictator) but the death of his older brother, … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Dry Gardens, Japan, Kyoto, Stroll Gardens

Kyoto 3 – Nishikawa House and the Small Traditional Japanese Garden

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
Nishikawa House Garden

Small London gardens have been a major source of interest and pleasure to me over much of my life and I have enjoyed designing a great many of them. The brief was almost always the same; all year-round interest, low … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan

Kyoto 4 – Ryoan-Ji Temple and Garden

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
Ryoan-ji Dry Garden

I think future generations will look back and say that mass tourism was the curse of the early 21st century. Whereas people of my parents’ generation were happy to make themselves a home, carrying out DIY, and tending tomatoes in … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Dry Gardens, Gravel Gardens, Japan, Kyoto, Kyoyoshi Pond, Water Gardens

Kyoto 5 – Nanzen-ji Temple and Garden

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
The Zen Dry Garden at Nanzen-ji

It would be as difficult to write about St. Peter’s in Rome without mentioning the Catholic Church, as it is to write about Nanzen-ji without considering the Rinzai School of Zen. The Rinzai is one of the two main schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Japan, Japanese Dry Gardens, Japanese Gravel Gardens, Japanese Zen gardens, Japanese Zen temples, Kyoto

Kyoto 6 – Heian-ji shrine and Garden

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
View Over the Pond to the Taiheikaku (Covered Bridge)

The Heian-ji is something of an oddity on two accounts, firstly being a Shinto shrine of the late 19th century Meiji period and one of the newest shrines in Japan, but also (and unusually for a shrine) having a stroll … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Japan, Kyoto, shrines, Stroll Gardens

Tokyo 1 – Hama-rikyu Gardens

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Karen Blaylock
300 Year Old Black Pine

I feel a bit embarrassed that on my trip to Japan I was only able to see a couple of the gardens of Tokyo, when in fact there are over thirty, many dating from the Edo period (1600-1867), some others … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Japan, Japanese gardens, Tokyo Gardens

Tokyo 2 – Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Karen Blaylock
View over Pond (Dai-Sensui)

An organised garden tour is a bit of a mixed bag. You see many more gardens in the time available and have a helpful well-informed guide but the disadvantages are that you’re hurried, and often haven’t time to take all … Continue reading →

Posted in Australasia, Gardens Archive, Japan | Tagged Japan, Neo-Confucianism, Tokugawa Period, Tokyo Gardens

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