THE BUDDHIST GARDEN IN JAPAN 237 



wisteria and morning glory, the lotus and Japanese 

 iris, is often misunderstood and overlooked. 

 For all that, the Japanese garden, the most 

 intimate and charming expression of Japanese 

 nationality, came like so many of their arts from 

 India through China and Korea. And from the 

 early temple gardens made by the Buddhist 

 monks and pilgrims, the whole beautiful and 

 elaborate system of Japanese garden craft has 

 gradually been built up. 



The Indian Lotus-bearers reached China both 

 through Turkestan and by the southern route 

 through Burmah and Cambodia, and " Coal 

 Hill," near the Tatar city in Peking, is a relic of 

 the Pleasure Hill idea. The style is supposed 

 to have been introduced into Japan in the sixth 

 century by one Yohan Koan Han, who con- 

 structed great mounds, some of them a hundred 

 feet high or more, and brought water in conduits 

 to form lakes and ponds. These hills and 

 rockeries were planted after the Indian fashion 

 with flowering trees and shrubs. True, before 

 this date the Japanese had a garden style called 

 " Imperial Hall," from a famous royal garden, 

 a quadrangle enclosed on three sides by palace 

 buildings, but not much is known of the details 



