Japanese Gardens and Finding Your Serene SpaceJapanese gardens are places of relaxation, creativity and meditation. They are an art form, and like all art, individual expression is necessary. In my opinion, a Japanese garden is a refined, aesthetic living space influenced by both nature and art. The degree to which emphasis is placed on creating a natural look or an abstract, artistic look depends on the individual garden designer. There is no correct answer, but I believe a balance of the two is ideal. I have spent a lot of time in Japan observing, studying, and even working in gardens and I have found one thing in common, that there is no one characteristic that makes a garden inherently Japanese. They are living, forever changing, works in progress. Of course the design is important, but the ongoing maintenance is also essential. Traditional Landscape Characteristics: • Karesansui (dry rock gardens or Zen gardens). An example being at Kongobuji temple, Koyasan (Wakayama) • Chaniwa (Roji) gardens (tea ceremony gardens) •Temple Gardens. An example is Koguen at Taimadera Temple (Nara) • Aristocratic and private wealthy residences. An example being Isuien Gardens • Tsukiyama gardens (artificial hills, reproduced famous landscapes). An example being Yokokan (Fukui) and Daisen Park (Osaka). Over the centuries general rules have developed. However, as with most Japanese arts, the basics and details are learned, mastered, and then expanded on through self-expression. Click here If you are more thinking about designing your own Meditation Garden. 
Common Features: • Stones or rocks • Ponds or streams • Stone bridges • Stone lanterns • Tea houses What is unique though is how these objects interrelate with each other, their Ma. Click here to visit other Japanese garden ornaments. When I was living in Nara, the best design advice given to me was by the famous designer Kitayama Yasuo in Kyoto at Koudaiji temple. He said I should go and study the mountains and landscape of the Yoshino and southern areas of Nara. He said that this was where natural, untouched, non-symmetrical beauty resided and this is where my ideas should come from. Truthfully he was right, I learned more about garden design from climbing Mt. Omine with the other Buddhist monks and Shugendo mountain ascetics and exploring the Kumano Kodo trails than I had from my time spent maintaining the famous garden “Koguen” at Taimadera Temple. Kitayama’s second piece of advice that stuck with me was that while studying natural Japanese landscapes will give me insight into the gardens, in order to truly design one outside of Japan, I should study the natural environment of that area and be original. The garden's simplistic beauty thrives because of its place within its natural surroundings. There are some "perfect" ones outside of Japan that really are works of art, but I want to try to spread this Japanese art form and its aesthetics to the average home. One of the greatest things we can learn from this tradition and Japanese culture is how to create our own serene garden and relaxing sanctuary at home.
Our approach at Grand Island Serene Gardens is centered on you and your connection with nature. Unfortunately many gardens are only there to merely impress other people. Admittedly, aesthetics play a large part of gardening, but I feel that people would have a much stronger connection to their garden if they put more of a focus on creating a place that relaxes, refreshes, and hopefully inspires them. Even in famous traditional gardens there is a message or story the artist/designer is trying to tell. Over the centuries Buddhist and Shinto thought has philosophically influenced the Japanese garden. I am a Buddhist monk in the Koyasan Shingon sect, but I don’t believe that this is a requirement for understanding and appreciating the Japanese garden. Everyone can learn something from these natural oasis' if they wish to. This philosophy and aesthetics of beauty has permeated Japanese culture and Japanese art forms such as painting and pottery as well, and it is something everyone can appreciate. Your sanctuary should be that place you can go to get back to the basics. If you create this special place you can always go there, both physically and also in your imagination. With this art form, and as with most arts, the process of creating it and enjoying it afterwords is a form of spiritual healing. Even stopping for a moment to just observe the Japanese garden can have a rejuvenating effect. The great thing about Japanese gardens is that they are a living art, so there is never such a thing as a completed garden. The designing, building, maintaining and observing of the Japanese garden is a continuously changing and growing experience. At Grand Island Serene Gardens we recognize a connection between Japanese gardens, Japanese culture, pottery, music, painting and creativity in which all are understood as being rooted in nature. Taking Mr. Kitayama's advice, we do our best to study the native trees, shrubs, flowers, and landscapes of our area and incorporate those aesthetics into our designs.
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