庭園と石 - Gardens and Rocks
The first religions of this wonderful country worshipped rocks mountains, rivers, and forests. This religion was that of Animism – probably the most ancient religion in the world. This brings us to the beautiful gardens of Japan. Religion plays a very important part in the design of gardens and they are often made to conform to Buddhist and Shinto beliefs with consideration of the climate and the people’s character. Sand, water, plants and rocks are the basis of these lovely creations.
In our area, we have the magnificent Adachi Museum gardens, which are second to none. The charming Yushien on Daikon Island is also most outstanding. These gardens are made to show us a tiny universe in the scenery of Japan. They often are supposed to represent the Buddhist heaven (Sumeru) Shumisen. Islands are made using rocks in seas of sand and in ponds. It is thought that this was a result of the passage of early Japanese through the inland sea and the impression the islands gave them. This further proves my ideas on Yamataikoku.
Rocks, as an early object of worship, were used in gardens as borders, island symbols, reinforcement and objects of respect. Many ancient names such as “Heavenly barrier” and “Heavenly seat” refer to rocks. These rocks must be natural and not changed to meet any requirement.
Gardens began as an art form in the late Kofun Period (300 BC – 710 BC) and went to Kyoto when the capital moved in 794. Kyoto was swampy in those days and engineers made gardens using rocks as a base of construction. So, the garden’s designs were practical as well as appealing. Rocks were arranged in groups to simulate natural scenes and form the basic framework of the famous Japanese gardens. Those rocks are impressive! Kyoto’s Ryoanji is very mysterious!