Landscape Gardening in Japan 
Showing the Arrangement of Garden Arbors in Landscape Ciardens 
a general accord therewith. Rocks and boulders are 
first determined, immense blocks being provided for 
extensive grounds; and these in turn govern the size of 
trees, shrubs, lanterns, basins, etc. grouped with them. 
The number likewise varies, of course, with the size of 
the garden. There may be as many as one hundred 
and thirty-eight principal rocks and stones in an exten¬ 
sive garden, whereas as few as five might sufiice for a 
small garden in the rough style. The size of a garden, 
together with its mental character, determines whether 
it shall be treated in the finished, rough, or intermediate 
style. The scale of the garden may be large and yet 
the style finished, or small and yet rough. Very lofty 
trees are sparingly employed even for extensive grounds. 
A clump of trees may be placed to obscure the setting 
sun but never the rising moon, and trees should never 
endanger free access of light and air. In order to 
scale with the grounds, the pagoda, pavilion, and 
bridge are often constructed in miniature; but lantern 
and water basin would simply be reduced in scale. 
Especially admirable are the devices used to enlarge 
the apparent size of the various objects in the garden 
as well as the actual extent of the garden as a whole. 
Thus, the boundaries of the lake are obscured here and 
there by trees or shrubs, and the cascade must be partly 
hidden by both the “water-receiving stone” and a 
shrub or tree called the “cascade-screening.” The 
whole garden gains illusive increase, as well as har¬ 
mony with its neighborhood, by placing within it 
boulders and trees similar to those visible beyond, or 
such objects, 
similar to those 
within, may be 
placed in the 
region around. 
Also the “dis¬ 
tancing pine ” 
is placed on the 
further slope of 
a distant hill in 
the garden and 
is thus partly 
hiddden from 
view, m order 
to suggest a re¬ 
in o t e g r o V e. 
Finally, a back¬ 
ground is con- 
si d e r e d the 
most important 
part of the gar¬ 
den, is treated 
most carefully, 
and thus draws 
attention to the 
remote parts of 
the c o m p o s i- 
tion. Exami¬ 
nation of the prints accompanying this article will show 
how well the various objects are grouped into grand 
masses instead of being rendered ineffective by scat¬ 
tering. 
In the matter of lines, the significant “guardian 
stone” forms the center equally of interest and of the 
composition, and with it are grouped its mated stone 
and the cascade or other form of water indispensable 
to the sansui motive. The principal tree, which 
should be a fine large pine or oak, is likewise placed be¬ 
hind or beside this center, while other objects, of neces¬ 
sity, fall into some sort of balance, but never of sym¬ 
metry, to the right and left. The composition is 
made to afford its best view from the residence; or, 
when the composition is predetermined by nature, the 
residence may be built in straggling fashion—even in 
parts connected by galleries—to secure varied views 
from its living and reception chambers. Much skill is 
exercised in combining such varied views into an ac¬ 
cordant whole. The view-point next in importance is 
chosen for the “worshiping stone,” and the next one 
for the “perfect view stone.” The arbor likewise 
should command a good view of the residence grounds 
and especially of the region beyond them; but the view 
of the residence as one approaches it has no interest for 
the Japanese, since the house or a dead wall stands 
flush with the road, while the best rooms lie in the rear, 
whence alone the garden can be seen. Foreign wise¬ 
acres cite, as a clear case of Japanese topsyturvydom, 
that the front of their houses stands at the back! 
9 
