ORNAMENTATION & DECORATION IN THE JAPANESE GARDEN

There are many different types of Japanese gardens. Under traditional gardens there are many subcategories and ornamentation and decoration within these gardens would have to follow strict rules for the garden to be considered authentic. In more modern contemporary gardens, meditation gardens or gardens that have been designed with an eastern / Zen feel, merely borrowing from the Japanese way, there is more flexibility. This blog will cover ornamentation in general with more detailed blogs to follow on certain key ornaments.

One of the very first things one will consider when planning a design of a Japanese garden is what ornamentation is desired or required in the garden as this will be crucial in deciding the layout of the garden, the shape and direction of the paths and the overall design in general. Keep in mind that ornaments also have ‘weight’ and, depending on their size, this needs to be considered in the balance of the design.

Traditionally the addition of objects without any useful function is avoided and unnecessary features can be regarded as a distraction, possibly even undermining the integrity of design.

Particularly in a traditional style Japanese garden, if the ancient rules are followed, you can design and create a garden which is truly Japanese (and gives the viewer that impression) without using a single ornament. Ornaments are therefore optional and a matter of personal choice. In a temple style dry ‘Zen’ garden, which comprises only rocks and raked gravel, absolutely no ornamentation at all is ever placed inside the borders of the raked zone.

Be very careful of ‘over-ornamenting’. In a Japanese garden, less is always more. Even if you have the budget to buy more ornaments, it is not always wise and can make the garden too busy or cluttered.

Hand-carved solid stone ornaments are preferred but if your budget does not allow for these, moulded concrete ornamentation can be used. Nowadays resin ornaments are also available but do be careful where they are positioned as many cannot withstand the elements well and can be damaged by the sun. They are useful when the site cannot support much weight, for example when creating a balcony or roof-top garden. Should you purchase a solid stone ornament, it is more likely to retain its value or possibly even increase in value whereas the concrete replicas will not.

Traditionally, colours of ornaments are usually kept to natural colours of stone, wood, concrete, bronze, etc. However, colour is a personal preference and white, beige, black, grey, verde gris and even vermillion red is used with certain ornaments. If brighter unnatural colours are used at all in a modern garden, one must keep in mind not to overdo it or have any colours that clash. Colour in many styles of Japanese gardens is kept to a minimum or complimentary colours are used to prevent the mind from being overstimulated.

The placement of rocks is crucial in any Japanese garden and large character rocks or groupings of them are also considered as focal points. If you are including these in your design, it will also affect how many other ornaments are going into the garden.

Other than large character rocks, the three main ornaments that would normally be considered are a lantern, a bench and a tsukubai (water feature), with a Buddha statue being a popular fourth (and purely optional) element. The size of the garden would dictate how many of these should be incorporated into the design but also remember not to try to squeeze too many things in. Just because it ‘can fit’ doesn’t mean it should be included!

These were originally introduced by tea masters as tea ceremonies are often held in the evening and light was needed to illuminate the garden and guide the guests, making lanterns functional as well as decorative. From a lighting point of view, the lantern is not intended to flood the entire garden with light. Traditionally a candle was put into the ‘fire box’ section of the lantern. However, many people now choose to rather electrify their lanterns and have them on a day/night switch or to install a day/night sensor or bulb. Paper or frosted glass is sometimes used in the fire box to soften the light. There is a spiritual aspect to these lanterns with different segments of the lantern representing various things, one of them being spirit so you can view the lantern as signifying ‘the spiritual light’. They are usually hand-carved from stone, although wooden lanterns are also seen in Japan. Sometimes one will see very rustic, basic lanterns that are composed of various flattish rocks balanced on top each other. They are never placed where light would not be needed therefore the most common places to position a lantern would be at a turn in the path, near a tsukubai water basin, near a bridge or alongside a pond or stream. You should not be able to see another lantern if you are standing next to one. The only time you will see multiple lanterns or rows of lanterns is in large public parks or gardens or temples, often on either side of an entrance or in lines down the sides of a main thoroughfare pathway. Therefore, one lantern is normally sufficient for an average sized garden. There are many different styles of lanterns with some being based on those seen in Buddhist temples and others having been developed by various tea masters for their own gardens (some well-known styles being Rikyu, Oribe, Enshu, Kasuga and Sowa). There are also many types of lanterns, each with a different name which I will go into in more detail in a future article/blog.

Depending on the style and type, the roof and the fire box may be hexagonal, square or round, However, the four main types are:-

1. Tall pedestal style with a central support column – some have a base (generally known as tachi-gata) and some are buried directly into the ground (ikekomi-gata).
2. Lower squat ’snow-viewing’ lanterns which are usually 4-legged (often known as yukimi-gata) are very popular.
3. Pond lanterns which are often 2-legged with the legs widely spaced with one leg often on the ground and one leg in the water (kotoji-tōrō).
4. Tiny, very low lanterns (oki-gata).

All four types are available in different heights and sizes with different detailing on them. The size and height of the lantern should be consistent with the size of the garden and what function the lantern is performing.

These water basins were also introduced to gardens by the tea masters of Japan. These can be a large rock with a hollowed out top to contain the water or it can be a more formal water basin carved from stone (round or square). In some countries, concrete ones are available that have been moulded off originals. These usually form part of a ‘tea garden’ but can be incorporated as a small water feature in almost any Japanese garden. They are usually accompanied by a small bamboo flume or a static ‘kakehi’ that brings the water to the water basin. These are a beautiful addition to the garden bringing the sound of flowing or trickling water into the garden. These can also double up as a bird bath with the birds loving to bath in the water basin and drink from the bamboo spout. They are usually surrounded by a ‘sea’ of rocks, stones and pebbles. If you already have a pond or stream in the garden, you would probably not need a water basin as well unless it was in a totally different area of the garden.

These can be made from carved stone, concrete, wood or in a very modern garden they can even be steel. Their function is obviously to provide seating whether it is a small one-seater meditation bench or whether it is a 2 to 3-seater larger bench. Traditionally, most Japanese benches do not have a back as the person would sit upright and meditate or view the garden however this is a personal preference as someone may require back support in which case a back would be acceptable. Bench styles are normally extremely simple and/or rustic – a horizontal slab of stone supported by two upright stones. Wooden arbour benches, possibly with an oriental style roof, are also sometimes included in contemporary gardens. In very traditional Japanese tea gardens, usually a covered bench or waiting area called a koshikake machiai is provided where guests wait until they are called through to the tea ceremony. Seating stones (simple cylinders or cubes) carved out of rock or left in their natural shape can also be used.

Buddha statues are available in many different styles – sitting, standing, reclining and Buddha busts of just head and shoulders. Pay attention to the Buddhist mudras (the positioning of the hands and fingers) as different mudras have various meanings. A Buddha in the garden can be merely decorative or, in a private garden, it can also represent the family’s spiritual path or beliefs. They are frequently found in gardens within temple compounds and many are sacred relics. Traditionally they are placed in an inconspicuous place and left unhighlighted. However, in more modern gardens, someone may choose to put it up on a podium or to raise the level of it, thus attracting the eye to it as a feature. If it merely decorative, and in a contemporary garden, any style of oriental Buddha that appeals to you can be used.

Other ornamentation, depending on whether the garden is traditional or modern can also be considered.

Derived from Indian stupas, these multi-levelled towers are often seen in Japanese gardens. They are purely decorative. Some have fire or light boxes where candles can be placed or they can be electrified to illuminate the garden. They can be used to lend a more spiritual atmosphere to the garden or to add height and interest. The placement of these ornaments is similar to that of lanterns, and one would not normally use one as well as a lantern unless it was in a very large garden and the two were quite far apart.

Bonsai means ‘planted in a container’. If it stays in a pot, then a bonsai can be used as decoration in the garden either placed on a flattish rock or on a wooden bonsai platform. If you have many bonsai, then creating an area of stepped wooden shelves for them would be a good idea rather than trying to incorporate them all into your garden. A large bonsai can be taken out of the pot and planted in the garden as a focal point as can any shaped ornamental tree.

In Japan, Foo Dogs are known as “Komainu” and are seen as good luck, being used to protect against evil spirits. Traditionally these are placed on either side of an entrance. They always come in pairs (left and right, male and female) and are available in many different styles, sizes and colours.

Again, a bridge would only be used if it performed a function as well as being decorative, so these would usually be found in larger gardens crossing over streams or ponds or over dry riverbed features. Many different styles of bridges are available, from rustic straight slabs to curved rounded, some have hand rails and some do not. There is also an interesting style of bridge called ‘hashi’ (or ‘chopstick’). Bridges are usually made from wood (sometimes painted vermillion) or from carved stone. Do not try and squeeze a bridge into a very small garden!

These are usually hand-carved from stone with either images or Japanese script (read vertically from top to down) on them, providing information or direction of some sort. They are often placed at edges of garden paths or at a fork in the path, telling the visitor what lies ahead or to the left or right, guiding visitors through the garden.

Steppingstones in Japanese gardens are usually not decorative. Normally solid flat natural stones are used or a combination of organically shaped flat rocks along with cut paving stones. In a modern garden, one can use steppingstones that have designs on them but just be mindful to not over do it!

Originally Chinese, many people do include these in their contemporary gardens either as a single statue or one on either side of an entrance. They are available in standing or kneeling style and in a range of materials (terracotta/stone/resin/concrete), colours and sizes from small to life-size.

Usually these would not be seen in a traditional garden. However, in a Japanese or Asian themed garden figurines of samurai warriors, Zen monks, Japanese historical figures, a bronze Asian sculpture of a horse, koi fish, stork, crane or heron, dragons, tortoises, deer and many others are acceptable if they are in keeping with the size and style of the garden. In a very modern garden, abstract sculptures could be included using spheres, cylinders, cubes or other geometric shapes. Be extremely careful to choose sculptures of the right size and to place them mindfully in the right setting.

These large Japanese ‘archways’ over entrances are usually seen at temples and represent moving from the mundane, through the torii gate, into sacred space. There are different styles and sizes, and they are usually made from wood. They can be kept in their natural colour or are often painted vermillion red (or sometimes black).

Most bird baths are not in keeping with the Japanese or oriental style. Avoid any classical styles with fluted columns! The tsukubai water feature, if you choose to include it, will double up as a bird bath. Alternatively a hollowed out mill-stone can be placed somewhere in the garden for the birds. If a bird bath has a distinctly Japanese or Zen feel to it, then it could be acceptable in a contemporary garden.

Having a shishi-odoshi (deer-scarer) water feature that pivots and moves, knocking on a sounding rock can be an interesting feature to have next to a pond or a stream. The static kakehi bamboo water feature or a simple bamboo flume usually brings water to the tsukubai (water pot). A bamboo water ladle with a rest or a bamboo water carrier are both interesting decorative and functional elements to add if one has a tsukubai area in the garden. There are many very attractive ways that bamboo can be used in the garden especially when it comes to creating privacy and enclosing or sectioning off various areas of the garden. A wooden Zen rake is functional but can also be an interesting ornament placed near the garden.

Contrary to Western gardens, pots are not commonly used in traditional Japanese gardens apart from a water basin (tsukubai). Specimen ornamental trees, bonsai or plants, herbs, etc may be potted and kept elsewhere but will not be part of a traditional garden. If you are not concerned with being entirely authentic, a large ceramic pot or Asian rice jar (planted up or not) can be very attractive if placed correctly. A porcelain lotus or water lily bowl or dragon pot containing goldfish may be added if the style of garden allows and it is aesthetically pleasing. A very modern abstract Japanese garden design may include pots as a feature whether they be a natural colour/ wood or a bright colour or even stainless steel.

Wooden or wooden composite decking is very in keeping with traditional Japanese architecture, but decking is not usually used in the design of a traditional garden. In Japan a wooden engawa (outdoor passage) often goes around the outside of the house from which the garden would be viewed. In a modern Japanese garden, decking (either at one level or split levels) in either natural wood or wood painted black could be used to great effect.

Often found in Japan, these direct water flow away from the foundations of the house. The metal rain chains can be very simple or highly decorative and usually have small cups (of varying designs) which fill up and overflow, thus slowing down the water. The chain usually hangs down into a rain barrel which collects the water.

In future blogs I will address each type of ornament individually as there is a lot of fascinating information about them all and each one deserves individual attention.