Japan is a country that consists of hundreds of islands, although only four of them are large enough to be inhabited: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. These four islands have mountains running straight down the middle, so the majority of inhabitants live on the coasts. As a result, space is at a premium. This is evident in the designs of their cities, streets, cars, homes, and gardens.
They're all designed to use space efficiently. Japanese gardens are no exception.
Japanese gardens are small, quiet and elegant. They are designed to provide a quiet place for one to appreciate nature and to contemplate the world.
If you have a beautiful lawn both front and back, you may think that a Japanese garden would not fit into your design, but this is not necessarily true. It is quite easy to have a Japanese garden in your house.
A miniature Zen garden consists of a wooden tray filled with white purified sand, a tiny rake, and an assortment of rocks. You can design this garden anyway you like...and rake it daily as a meditation exercise. It is also possible to get a miniature Zen garden with a fountain attached - although this design is usually a decorative piece and does not allow one to rake the sand or change the arrangement of the stones.
Note that a miniature Zen garden should consist of sand in a wooden tray - or a stone tray. You can get miniature Zen gardens in cardboard trays that come from Office Playground, a website that offers miniature gardens of all kinds.
These tiny Zen gardens are designed to allow you to create your own raked designs (it's the raking of the sand that provides you with the opportunity to mediate).
Raking the Sand
It is believed by scholars that the earliest shrines of Shinto, Japan's native religion, may have been forest clearings in which the ground was purified for the spirits, by putting down a layer of washed sand or gravel. The sand can also be intended to evoke the thought of waves or currents.
The placing of the rocks on the sand also has a spiritual meaning as well as an aesthetic one.
Examples of Zen Gardens
If you'd like to see what other people do with their miniature Zen gardens you can visit such websites as www.zengarden.co.za, (which offers a Zen garden inspired by a world-famous one in Kyoto, and comes with a torii zen chime with mallet).
A torii gate is a traditional Japanese gate made of wood, with two upright supports and two crossbars on the top, swept upward at the ends as if reaching for the sky. The gate is traditionally painted red. They mark the entrances to Shinto shrines.
A Japanese Touch For Your Garden
The beauty of a Japanese home is derived from its simple and uncluttered appearance that creates an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Its interiors are normally painted in neutral colors to serve as a bare and simple backdrop to the beauty of the architecture. Because a Japanese home places greater emphasis on architecture, the tendency is to create a sense of geometric order. Natural colors are used on the interior walls to avoid the sense of clutter and uphold the philosophy of simplicity.
Unlike western homes that are filled with large, comfortable and attractive furniture and ornate decoration with splashes of color here and there, the Japanese home remains clean and uncluttered and normally creates a dramatic decorating statement simply by highlighting a single strong color or a dominant texture.
You can, however, bring the Japanese touch into your own home and office by applying some of the more popular Japanese design principles that you know ?most especially, the Shoji design system which has inspired a great number of the world's great architects and designers like Frank Lloyd Wright, Bruno Taut, and Terence Conran, to name a few. Before you can effectively apply the Japanese touch to your home, however, you need to understand the basic elements of Japanese interior design and the manner by which the Shoji designs can be incorporated into these elements. This should not prove difficult as the Shoji Design caters to the needs of both contemporary as well as traditional Japanese design. Bear in mind that components of the Shoji design include Shoji screens, Japanese furniture and Shoji lamps which all help to give a western home an elegant look.
Other elements that may enhance the Japanese flavor you may want to add to your home or office interiors include the tategu or sliding doors and windows in a Japanese house; the tatami or Japanese woven floor mats; the tokonoma which is an alcove and the spot where family treasures and seasonal decorations are displayed very similar to the fireplace mantle commonly found in most western homes and where other Japanese decorative items like a bonsai plant, an ikebana or Japanese hanging scrolls may be displayed.
Remember, the Japanese home hardly has furniture although some pieces that can be found in traditional homes include the tansu, hibachi and kotatsu.
Keep in mind that the best method to test if you are keeping true to the Japanese decorating principle is to remind yourself that, for the Japanese. "less is more" and the simpler and more uncluttered, the more beautiful the decorating design is. That should be simple enough.
Both Mr.andrew Caxton & Tom Takihi are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mr.andrew Caxton has sinced written about articles on various topics from mountain bike, Japan Car and Gardening. Andrew Caxton enjoys writing about outdoor decorations for http://www.wrought-iron-guide.com . A website with tips on ,. Mr.andrew Caxton's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.
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