History of Zen and Japanese Gardens

The art of Nipponese gardens dates back to at l easterly 592 AD, during the prevail of Empress Suiko. There is documented evidence that suggests the art had actually been progressing long earlier then, because these early gardens were very well-developed. Early gardens contained artificial hills, ornamental pools, and many otherwise features of Nipponese gardens today. The first major development in the history of Japanese gardens came in the Nara period (646-794 AD), when trade with China began in earnest.This brought many flip-flops to Japanese culture, and even more elaborate gardens in the castles of Japanis elite class. These gardens included animals, birds and slant to provide movement, and were used as sites for feasts and parties given by noblemen. As the trance with other cultures began to wear off in the Heian period (794-1185 AD), those who could afford to grade gardens had a renewed interest in traditional Japanese bearings and customs. This change brought an e legant mix of Chinese customs and Japanese style to gardens, cognize as Shinden.The layout of these gardens was dictated by myth and legend for example, streams had to run from east to west because in ancient Chinese lore, the East was the source of worth and the West was the outlet of impurities. Japanese garden. Not many changes were made to the Shinden style until the middle of the Kamakura period (1185-1392) when window pane Buddhist priests began creating gardens for meditation instead of and for entertainment. Decorativeness was played down in favor of meditative qualities gardens in this while tended to include stones, water and evergreens, remaining constant throughout the year.This minimalist possible action was carried to even greater extremes in the Muromachi and Higashiyama periods (1392-1573) when gardens contained only stones. Created in the style of the coloured landscape paintings popular during the time, these gardens used specially picked stones as metaphors for objects in nature. too developed during this time was the flat garden, or the Hira-niwa. During the Momoyama period, most likely as a reaction to the frugality of the Zen garden design, royal gardens in one case again became vibrant and lush.These gardens were full of hills, waterfalls, and a mix of plants. However, the old Zen tradition lived on in tea gardens. Walking gardens were invented, constructed so as to be pleasing to the eye from any angle, and paths had to be woven into the social structure of the garden itself. The result, right up to the modern day, is a great variety in Japanese gardens. From Zen rock gardens to tea gardens to walking gardens, the art of Japanese gardens is still very much alive.