Japanese style park. Parks of Japan. Iriomote-Ishigaki: home of the endemic cat
Beautiful parks are one of the reasons why you can and should go to Japan. Overall my autumn trip was timed specifically for the season of red maple leaves. Momiji is one of the favorite seasons of the Japanese and is known throughout the world, along with the flowering season. In Japan, they are very respectful of nature and beautiful national parks are one of business cards Land of the Rising Sun.
While traveling around Japan, I saw several parks and gardens, some famous and some not so well known. One of the famous natural monuments I visited on the first day of the trip, it was in Nikko, sunny city, - , now we have arrived in the city of Kanazawa, which is famous for its unique and beautiful Kenroku-en Park. Its name means garden of six virtues. Due to the terrible weather, I did not consider all six advantages, although I definitely felt three.
Arriving in the city of Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), at the station we were greeted by this unusual huge teapot (top picture), it probably symbolizes something.
As usual, we left our things in the storage room and decided to quickly walk around the city. Our acquaintance with the city began with the famous Omi-cho market, this is an amazing fish market with the freshest fish, crabs, and caviar. I'll tell you about it later. After walking through the covered market, we decided to refresh ourselves here. Everything was so beautiful, fresh and must have been delicious.
There were no usual cafes here, mostly something similar to not very cozy eateries, so at first I didn’t understand where and how we would eat. But a woman approached us, apparently the owner of this establishment, said that we needed to pay for the selected dish at the machine and showed that we needed to go back and sit at a table that was located on the street in front of the entrance to the establishment.
We didn't have to wait long. This woman brought us this beautiful and tasty dish, I don’t know the name. The main thing is rice, and on top there is caviar with tuna and all sorts of sea delicacies. Without exaggeration, I will say that I really really liked it and the portion was so impressive and filling. I think this dish is called, at least the composition is similar. As a bonus, they brought us fish soup for free - nice (although... for such a price).
We devoured Japanese food, and other cafe visitors, Japanese, joined us. I carefully and diligently “struggled” with my chopsticks 箸 (はし, hashi） and caught the rice with them. Apparently, the owner of the establishment was looking at my efforts while she wiped the neighboring tables.
In principle, it didn’t bother me that I couldn’t deftly use chopsticks and it didn’t bother me that someone would look at me. In general, I didn’t even try to show that everything was fine and I could use these same gadgets. The only negative is that I slowly devoured my lunch, and the rest amused me, probably the Japanese too, who were in the neighborhood.
But here, an Asian foreigner at the next table, who also didn’t really use chopsticks (???, huh... what about Asians, don’t everyone eat with chopsticks?) asked to be brought フォーク (fo:ku) - a fork. The hostess brought her a plastic fork, and for some reason also brought me one. She was probably tired of watching me “suffer,” so I had to not disappoint her and use a fork.
The next point of our acquaintance with the city of Kanazawa was a visit to the castle of the same name. We did not plan to go inside and limited ourselves to an external inspection.
The castle was built in 1583, like many of today's buildings it is a reconstruction, the original building burned several times and the last fire was in 1881. Only the Ishikawa Gate, built in 1788, and a couple of storage buildings remain real.
The restored Hishi and Tsuzuki Yagura building, a long warehouse connecting the two towers. The castle was opened to visitors in 2001.
Despite the fact that it had been raining for several days, I still didn’t buy an umbrella, for the most part, because it is very inconvenient to carry a bag, a camera, and also an umbrella. But on this day the weather was raging, there was a very strong wind, which twisted the umbrellas of passers-by and the rain lashed from all sides.
Having reached the pearl of Japanese nature - Kenroku-en Park, I was pretty wet and, to be honest, I didn’t really want to admire the beauty of the park. But Dmitry consistently and persistently adhered to the planned program. In front of the cash registers I saw a touching picture, a young couple in national costume, in little white socks and clogs, when there was so much slush and rain all around, I came for a walk in the park.
Inside the park we met another beautiful couple, and everything here (in Japan) turns out to be very romantic. But they say that the Japanese do not know how to love and make friends, in the sense that they do not show their feelings and generally marry without love for the most part. How can you show your feelings to a girl even more beautifully? Dress so beautifully and unusually (I think that not every Japanese guy is ready for this) and go for a walk with his girlfriend. This is much more romantic and bolder than just giving flowers. Although in Japan it might be the other way around?
Kenroku-en Park is one of the three famous parks in Japan, along with Kairaku-en and Koraku-en parks.
The three parks are united according to the characteristics characteristic of an ideal garden: it is a man-made structure using traditional forms, the park must be located in a secluded place and occupy a vast area, it must have flowing water and a panoramic view. Combines all the signs beautiful park Kenroku-en. The area of the park is 11.4 hectares.
The six advantages of the park include: spaciousness, tranquility, respectability, scenic views, slim design and cool. Kenroku-en was defeated in 1676 and was the private domain of the Maeda clan. The garden was built and rebuilt over two centuries. The garden was opened to the public in 1871.
There is a lot of water in the park - streams, lakes, fountains, respectively, many bridges and beautifully designed paths. You can wander into secluded corners that seem to be off the beaten path. Great amount trees and flowers please the eye of the vacationer. You should come to Kenroku-en Park specifically for a leisurely walk and contemplation, as the couples in the top photographs did.
On the day we were there, due to bad weather, there were few people, which was a plus. But on the other hand, we did not see all parts of the beautiful park and our walk was “swift”; to capture and see the most interesting things, and rather, in warm, dry clothes, this is a huge minus.
The park is beautiful at any time of the year. These pictures of different seasons are taken from the Internet. Isn't it wonderful?
There are many plum and sakura trees in the park, so starting in February, tourists come here to admire the blooming trees. And in the fall, you can see it in the picture - of course, fiery momiji. Such red maples appear in the period November-December. In total, 183 species of plants and 8,750 trees grow in the garden.
This ancient fountain, the very first in Japan. Built in 1861, it gushes naturally, under the influence of groundwater flowing from the nearby mountains. The height of the fountain is 3.5 meters.
One of beautiful places, which is visible immediately as soon as you enter the park, is the complex: Lake Hisago ike (pumpkin lake), the green Midori Taki waterfall and the Yugaotei tea house covered with tree branches. The lake got its name because of its shape, similar to that of a pumpkin. At the beginning of its creation, the park began from this very place.
The Kaiseki Pagoda stands on an island in the middle of Lake Hisago Ike, its height is 4.1 meters.
The tea house is the oldest building in the park, built in 1774.
In the center of the park there is another lake, Kasumigaike (Mist Lake), where colorful carp splash and are fed by park visitors.
In Kenroku-en Park there is the famous Kotoji Toro stone lantern, 2.67 meters high. The most favorite place tourists. There are a lot of people on the bridge in front of the lantern who want to take pictures. There are 18 stone lanterns in the park, but this is the most famous
I was also offered to take a photo, but by this time I was already on the verge of boiling because I was wet myself, my camera was flooded with water and the rain was not going to stop. I understood literally what the expression “getting wet” means, and it was the end of October, and getting sick was not part of my plans. And the photo - I imagined what I would look like in it (wet, disheveled, tired, to be honest, I don’t really like being photographed), but maybe it’s even more interesting.
At the same time, I am very glad that we visited this park in Japan. This perfect place for contemplation and relaxation. And a great memory of Japan.
We also ran along several paths, saw monuments to samurai soldiers, but I didn’t take out my camera again. Because with each subsequent frame the photographs became foggier and more spotty from the rain.
The park is open daily from 7.00 to 18.00, in autumn-winter (from mid-October to February) from 8.00 to 17.00. Entrance fee 310 yen.
I read information that admission is free in rainy weather, but this is not true, at least not in our case. You can come to the park early in the morning at 5 o’clock, in which case entry will be free, but you must leave it before 7 o’clock.
My not very successful hike and acquaintance with Kenroku-en Park is over. This is probably the only day when I allowed the weather to ruin my mood. We had to drive another couple of hours to our destination, so taking my things from the storage room, I went to the toilet to change clothes. Fortunately, Japanese toilets are clean and very spacious. And at the stations, perhaps on purpose, in the booths there are places where you can put your numerous backpacks and bags so as not to put them on the floor.
Having changed clothes, I felt calmer, but the epic with wet clothes was not over yet. After all, as usual, our day was long and during the day we were in different places, sometimes (or maybe always) in different cities. We went to Takayama for the night.
Few places in the world have achieved such inspired subtlety in landscape art as in Japan. Already in the early Middle Ages, the Japanese paid special attention to the contemplation of nature and created beautiful gardens and parks, which in the language of European culture could be called landscape. They were interpreted in the categories of the Buddhist worldview. The center of the composition was an island (rock, pavilion), surrounded by the waters of a lake - a symbol of a Buddhist paradise in the middle of the ocean. A delightful example is the famous Byodoin Monastery in Uji (near Kyoto), where in the center of the lake a light wooden building stretches its wings - the Phoenix Hall, hiding a statue of the Amida Buddha.
Very early (already in the 12th century) the theoretical understanding of gardening art developed, and numerous treatises appeared. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Zen Buddhism began to play a decisive influence, for which contemplation of nature is one of the most important paths to enlightenment. The basic principles of designing a Japanese garden, based on irregularity and asymmetry, are gradually being formed.
Theorists define two main types of garden.
Tsukiyama type— recreation of a real hilly landscape with the obligatory presence of a reservoir and mountains or rocks. Often specific, recognizable natural landmarks of Japan or China are reproduced (Mount Fuji, etc.), but each object also has spiritual and symbolic meaning, and their interaction is revealed as you walk through the garden. For example, the upper garden of Saihoji Monastery in Kyoto (created in 1339 - the oldest garden of this type, with its powerful rock stones, symbolizes the primordial forces of nature).
Hiraniwa type is a small flat garden viewed from a fixed point and depicting nature in miniature. The famous embodiment of this type and the symbol of the Zen garden in general are “dry landscape” gardens (karesansui). There is never any water in them: the sea or river is represented by sand, the mountains - by fragments of rocks, “islands” of moss or shrubs. The conventionality of these gardens facilitates the transition to long, in-depth contemplation and meditation. These gardens were an integral part of Zen monasteries; the most famous are the gardens of Ryoanji (late 15th century) and Daisen-in (1509-1513) in Kyoto.
A special type of garden is tea gardens (tyaniva), which spread from the 15th-16th centuries. along with the development of the tea ceremony. They are very small, it is more likely not even a garden, but a small path surrounded by plants and stones to the tea house. It helps to enter a state of solitude, gradual separation from the bustle of the world - the goal of a tea ceremony imbued with the spirit of Zen.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), extensive landscape parks became widespread. They are still built around a pond with an island in the center, but they also connect the features different types, may include tea gardens and rock gardens. The relatively small park of the Katsura Imperial Villa (1610s, 1650s) is designed not only for leisurely walks, but also for contemplating natural “pictures” that are captured through the windows of numerous pavilions. The extensive park of another imperial residence, Shugakuin (1650s), was built on the principle of incorporating a natural landscape into an artificial one. A pond with islands and bridges is dug on the slope high mountain, which, like a theatrical backdrop, is visible from many points in the park and thus becomes part of its space. Parks of this kind were created not only for the emperor, but also for numerous noble feudal lords. Three of them are recognized as the most beautiful parks in Japan: Kenrokuen (1676) in Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), Korakuen (1687) in Okayama (Okayama Prefecture) and Kairakuen (1841) in Mito (Ibaraki Prefecture).
Japan's parks and gardens are beautiful in any weather and at any time of the year. They are wonderful under a veil of rain and in a light haze of fog, in a snow-white winter and a luxurious crimson autumn, but first of all - in early spring, during the cherry blossom season.
Japanese nature is amazing and diverse. Here are mountain peaks with waterfalls, untouched forests full of animals and birds, and the depths of the sea, and active volcanoes. All this beauty is carefully protected in 34 national parks x from snowy Hokkaido to tropical Okinawa.
And to make it easier for tourists to understand this diversity, we, together with the Ministry of Environment, launched a new website this year.
In 1986, the landscape exhibition “Japanese Garden” was opened on the territory of the Main Botanical Garden. Specialists from Japan took part in the project - landscape designer Nakajima, architect Adachi, construction company Watana-be-Tomi. Financial support for the project was provided by the Japanese Embassy in Russia.
The result of the innovation in the botanical complex exceeded all expectations; now in Russia you can get acquainted with the Japanese view of the beauty of nature. On Moscow soil, in the botanical complex, a real corner of Japan appeared with huge number small waterfalls, ponds with islands. There are pavilions in the Japanese architectural style, stone lanterns, and multi-tiered pagodas - this makes people, regardless of their nationality, feel that harmony can be found between nature and human activity. This common sense thought certainly appears after visiting even a small, real Japanese garden.
And in Moscow, the botanical zone, decorated by the Japanese, is simply huge. The laconic and seemingly simple structure of the green zone is, in fact, not easy to achieve. The botanical exhibition presents more than a hundred species of different plants: world-famous sakura, mono maple, rhododendron, David's elm and other plants.
Many Muscovites ask the question, when is the best time to visit a Japanese garden to feel all its beauty? Every Japanese knows that nice park charming at any time of the year, morning, afternoon and evening. In March, spring yellow forsythia and bluish broomers begin to bloom. In April and May, everyone wants to admire the famous cherry blossoms, which has become a symbol of Japan. As soon as it begins to bloom, rhododendron and apricot flowers appear.
At the beginning of summer, irises, familiar to Russians, bloom, followed by the relay of flowering to silvery lavender and pinkish spirea flowers. Until late autumn, blooming petals of Kuril tea, very reminiscent of small gold coins, adorn the green bushes.
Late autumn not only does not diminish the charm, many believe that this place becomes even more poignant and beautiful. The leaves of the maples are covered with autumn crimson, and the purple rhododendrons create the ghostly illusion of re-blooming. In winter, the Japanese park is thoughtfully deserted and gently whitewashed with snowy white colors. Every Japanese kindergarten always has a special lantern designed for leisurely admiring the snow.
The Japanese are confident that nature has answers to all life's questions. In order to solve any problem or just relax, you should come, reflect, look at plants, stones and water, which have a power that is not fully known to man. Anyone who is interested in the traditions of Japan, those who want to better understand this distinctive people with a difficult history and their own view of the world, should definitely come to Botanical Garden, in his exhibition “Japanese Garden”.
When cherry blossoms bloom in the Japanese Garden
Video:
How to get there
From the Vladykino metro station, walk a couple of minutes to the entrance to the Botanical Garden, then walk along the main alley to the T-shaped fork (25 minutes walk). There will be a sign, turn left and walk another 300 m.
Opening hours
- Tue., Wed., Fri. - from 12:00 to 19:00
- Sat., Sun. And holidays– from 12:00 to 20:0
- Mon. and Thurs. – sanitary days
The garden is open from April 25 to October 15. During the cherry blossom period it is open every day, without weekends or sanitary days.
Ticket prices
- during the cherry blossom period, weekends and holidays: adults – 200 rubles, schoolchildren and students – 100 rubles, pensioners – 30 rubles.
- other days - weekdays: adults - 150 rubles, schoolchildren and students - 80 rubles, pensioners - 20 rubles.
Japan (Japanese: 日本 Nihon, Nippon), official name“Nihon koku”, “Nippon koku” (inf.) (Japanese: 日本国) - Island state V East Asia. Located in Pacific Ocean, east of the Sea of Japan, China, North and South Korea, Russia, occupies the territory from Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
On March 16, 1934, the first three national parks were opened in Japan: (Japanese: 瀬戸内海国立公園), (Japanese: 雲仙国立公園) and (Japanese: 霧島国立公園).
As of 2007, there are 29 operating national parks, occupying about 20,482 km², or 5.4% of the country’s territory.
Aokigahara (青木ヶ原, “Plain of Green Trees”); also known as Jukai (樹海, "Sea of Trees") is a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on the Japanese island of Honshu. total area is approximately 35 sq. km. The forest terrain includes many rocky caves,
Daisetsuzan (Japanese: 大雪山国立公園) - national park in Japan, located in the central part of the island of Hokkaido. Daisetsuzan National Park was established on December 4, 1934. Its area is more than 226 thousand hectares, of which about 35 thousand are occupied by five reserves.
Nikko (Japanese: 日光国立公園) is a national park in the Kanto region Japanese island Honshu. It is located 135 km northeast of Tokyo in the prefectures of Tochigi, Gunma, Fukushima and Niigata. It is one of the oldest national parks in Japan, founded on December 4, 1934;
Ogasawara National Park (Japanese: 小笠原国立公園) is a national park located on the islands of the same name (also known as the Bonin Islands). Located 1,930 km south of Tokyo. In 2011, the Ogasawara Islands were listed World Heritage UNESCO.
What is a Japanese garden? Surely each of you has your own vision of this wonderful phenomenon. Some will imagine a rock garden, others - tea gardens with their unique laconicism and beauty, for some it is, first of all, formed plants - nivaki, for some the image of lanterns, wooden bridges, bowls will come to mind.
History of Japanese gardens
Traditional gardens in Japan can be found everywhere: in private homes or in neighborhoods such as city parks, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and historical sites such as old castles. Many Japanese gardens are better known in the West as Zen gardens. Following the old custom, tea masters created exquisite Japanese gardens of a completely different style, praising rustic simplicity.
Typical Japanese gardens include several essential elements, real or symbolic:
- stone lantern among plants
- water
- island
- bridge leading to the island
- tea house or pavilion
The history of the Japanese garden goes back several centuries; the style was formed in the 10th-11th centuries and by the 14th-16th centuries. reached its peak. By this time, certain canons had developed, according to which gardens were created in the future. Uniquely beautiful Japanese gardens were laid out during imperial palaces. Unfortunately, most of them have not survived to this day. Temple and monastery gardens in Japan contained minimal or no plants. For a very long time, the art of Japanese gardens was inaccessible to Europeans, since Japan remained a closed country for a long time. Then, with the development of trade and cultural ties with Europe, the Japanese style came to the Old World. Initially, the symbolism of the Japanese garden was exotic for Europeans, but over time, people began to appreciate the special atmosphere of Japanese gardens, the peace, security and harmony that they provide. Later, the Japanese style in landscape design became widespread among gardens around the world.
IN last years Japanese gardens have become very popular - outlandish and sometimes incomprehensible to Russian eye structures. Meanwhile, the Japanese garden is, first of all, philosophy, worldview and worldview. In the East, and above all, in China and Japan, great attention has been paid to garden art since ancient times.
Famous Gardens of Japan
Three of Japan's most famous gardens traditionally considered Kenroku-en (Kanazawa), Koraku-en (Okayama) and Kairaku-en (Mito).
Kenroku-en Park
Kenroku-en Park is Kanazawa's largest park. The name means Garden of Six Virtues. This was originally the garden of Kanazawa Castle. The park was created in the 17th century and opened to the public in 1875.
On an area of 25 acres there are many trees (about 8,750), flowers and other plants (183 species in total), ponds, waterfalls, streams, and bridges. Among the park's attractions are an ancient fountain and a tea house.
Water is supplied from a remote river through a complex water supply system dating back to 1632. In winter, Kenroku-en Park is given a special flavor by ropes stretched from the tops of trees to protect them from breaking off under the weight of snow.
Koraku-en Park
The park was originally called Koen (late garden) because it was laid out after construction was completed Okayama Castle , opposite which there is a park. Koraku-en received its name in 1871.Koraku-en Park is located in the city Okayama , the main city of the prefecture Okayama, on the island of Honshu in Japan . The park covers an area of 13 hectares and is located in the Asahigawa area.
Kairaku-en Park
Kairaku-en is located in Mito City, the main city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the east of Honshu Island. The park was established on the orders of Tokugawa Nariaki in 1841. Due to the fact that Nariaki was especially fond of plum trees, a large plum grove was created on the territory of Kairaku-en (unlike other Nihon Sanmeien gardens).
During World War II, Kairaku-en Park was almost completely destroyed by bombing, but was restored in 1958.
Japanese city gardens and parks
Japanese city gardens and parks are completely different from those that we are used to seeing, say, in Moscow. In a city garden we expect to see patterned flower beds, flower beds, cleared and trampled paths. In Japanese gardens, other elements take center stage. Here, sand, pebbles, dwarf plants, quaint streams, and stones come first. The Japanese garden is characterized by an atmosphere of mystery, which forms the basis of the park design.
In the Japanese city garden we are influenced not only by the beauty and perfection of forms, but also by the whole spirit of things, the inner strength of which we feel at every step. If you try to move a Japanese park to any other country, nothing will work. Spirit, atmosphere - that's what's important in a Japanese park.
Hilly Garden
The hilly garden is one of the classic types of Japanese gardens. A hilly garden can be large or small, but usually has a pond at its center, or in the case of a dry landscape, a gravel "sea" as illustrated in our example.
The main feature of the hilly garden is the hill, complemented by a pond and water stream. The flat garden does not have even the slightest potholes; it is flat, like a table. The garden layout uses stones, trees, stone lanterns, water tanks and springs. Collected together according to the architect's taste, they are unique. The Japanese crossed landscape garden is the creation of clergy and professional gardeners. This garden reproduces a miniature model of the mountainous region of Japan with a small lake with an island, creatively placed stones, decorative stone lanterns, bridges and passages.
Rock garden
The foundation of a Japanese garden is stones. Stone in its original form is the main attribute of the Japanese park. The aesthetic properties of untreated stone are most
used in “rock garden” architecture. The Japanese rock garden is a unique structure. Its main area is covered with sand or small pebbles, and groups of unhewn stones are scattered on it, as if in disorder. However, the disorder is only apparent. The arrangement of groups and the composition of stones in groups are subject to the rules emanating from the ideological concepts of Zen Buddhism. Stones are arranged in groups of three in accordance with the Buddhist triad. Rock gardens are functionally designed for meditation, detachment from the bustle of the world and everyday problems. The design of such structures, subject to the norms of Zen Buddhism, strengthens the Japanese people’s desire for admiring nature, reflection, and solitude. Here such principles as the ability to see the beauty of ordinary and elegant simplicity appear explicitly.
Tsubo garden
It appeared in Japan in the early Middle Ages in connection with the increase in urban population density and, accordingly, an increase in building density. Its size is indicated by the name itself, coming from the unit of measurement of area, tsubo, equal to 3.3 square meters. m. Another translation of the word “tsubo” is a jug, a pot, i.e. some kind of small container, which, in fact, is the tiny space allocated to this garden among the houses.
A tsubo garden is a microcosm - a small universe created in the close space between your home and the neighboring one. Perhaps in this universe it will only be possible to place some kind of garden with a small number of plants, but the Japanese have created art that depicts space even with the help of only kakemono and ikebana in tokonoma in an area of no more than 2 square meters. m. This tiny garden also says a lot about the unique character of the Japanese. The indoor garden is not just a light well like a home garden Mediterranean coast, but seems to be the embodiment of both the philosophy of life and the resourcefulness of the Japanese, who manage to live in unity with nature even in cramped city houses.
Tea garden
G The main building of the tea garden - the tea house (chashitsu) - is located in the depths of the garden. The construction of the tea house was given special importance. This is a small room into which there is a narrow and low (less than human height) entrance. Everyone had to bend down to show that everyone was equal.
Chashitsu were like the tiny poor huts of the eastern sages; they were extremely modest, both appearance, and in terms of interior decoration. The unpretentiousness of the situation created a supreme sense of beauty, the meaning of which should be understood through a philosophical understanding of reality. The only decorations allowed were a scroll with a philosophical saying, a painting by an ancient artist and a bouquet of flowers.
X_Polus1 _x_Polus2 _x_Polus3 _x_Polus4 _x_Polus5 _x_Polus6 undefined