Japanese Gardens, part of the World Heritage Site in KYOTO｜KANCHIIN
Kanchiin was built in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) and is now one of pagodas in Toji temple which registered as a World Heritage Site as a component of the “Cultural Properties of Ancient Kyoto”. Tsubo-niwa near a tea room
Tsubo-niwa is a small garden created in a space surrounded by a wall or fence. In the old days, the structure of a machiya (townhouse), in which houses are close together, creates problems with lighting, ventilation, and ventilation,
So as a solution, a backyard was cut off a part of the house between the houses next door and called “tsubo-niwa”. The landscaping philosophy is thought to have been adopted from the tea garden, and in many cases, items such as stone lanterns and stepping stones are placed
That are common to the tea gardens. On the north side, there is a tea ceremony room called “Fusenkan” with a tea garden beside it. At the front of the tea garden is a wash basin called “Chinseki-wash basin” *”Chinseki” means unusual stone in Japanese
The base is said to be made from a fossil from the sea bottom. The moss was withered in March when I visited, but the view of tea garden in summer is especially beautiful. In the back is a garden decoration that makes a sound called “shishi-odoshi”
In fact, there are many Japanese gardens where sound-emitting devices, such as ”Shishi-odoshi” and water harps, have been neglected because they are not well managed. However, I have never seen such a garden in Kyoto, which reminds me that Kyoto is a special region in terms of garden culture.
View of the east side of the building called Kyakuden Kyakuden, designated as a National Treasure, was built in 1605 The stone in front of the stone lantern is called “soseki”.
It is a stone that was once used as the foundation of a building to support pillars, etc., and was converted into a garden stone. The stone lantern is called “Kasuga Lantern,” and the top part called “hoju” is newer than the other parts.
The shape of the “hoju” part alone has a wide variety of types. The garden in front of the Kyakuden and the main building is a dry garden called “Chosjya no Niwa” (means garden of the person of high rank), which was created in 2017.
It is said that this is because the highest ranking priest of Toji Temple used to live in Kanchiin. Yoshino and Moriyama stones are used to represent the Shingon esoteric Buddhism’s view of the infinite universe and the state of nirvana and tranquility.
Toji Temple is a Shingon Buddhist temple, and therefore this garden is not a Zen temple. You can see that the stones in the garden decorations are new. Move to a different location so you can see other garden decoration.
Before the current garden was created in 2017, there was a stone garden called “Godai no Niwa” in which dragon gods, birds, or orchids, etc. were represented with stones. This garden was different from the current dry garden, and there were many fans of this unique stone garden.
You can still see photos of the garden in the past by searching on the web. The once curved paving stones have been rearranged into straight lines, adding a modern look to the karesansui. This section of “soseki” has not changed its appearance since before
They are perfect soseki, as if they were in a Japanese garden textbook, Two types can be seen: one with a projection in the center and the other with a depression in the center. The “Shiho-Shomen Garden” is a inner court which has remained since the Muromachi Period.
“Shiho-Shomen” means in Japanese, “anywhere in the four directions, the correct position to see it”. Therefore, this courtyard is designed in such a way that it seems to be the “right place” to see the garden, no matter which way you look at it.
The flow of the river is represented by Kuri stones, leading to the great sea in the “Chosjya no Niwa” . “Kuri stones” are rounded stones with a diameter of 15 cm or less. The stones surrounding the river, represented by Kuri stones, can be seen standing.
As written in a landscape gardening book dated to the latter half of the 11th century, it is clear that stones have been used in Japanese gardens in a vertical position since ancient times. The “Paradise Bridge” over the “Shiho-Shomen Garden” . The river, represented by stones,
Goes under this bridge and under the corridor connecting the main hall and the guest halls, leading to the garden of the “Chosjya no niwa”. To-ji Temple is part of the World Heritage Site and has many attractions, then although these gardens are inconspicuous,
I encourage you to stop by the gardens when you visit there If you like this video, please subscribe and give it a thumbs up👍. Thank you for watching!
KANCHIIN:
403 Kujo-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, JAPAN
Filmed on 2023/03
Playlist : Japanese Gardens
website :
https://jgc28.my.canva.site/
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