Due to their unique style, Japanese gardens are popular all over the world, we can visit many parts of the world, even Hungary if we want tranquility and recharge.

Religion also shaped it

In Japan, most of the monumental gardens have survived, mostly built next to temples, shrines, palaces, but some private gardens in Kyoto have also survived from the last century. The tradition of Japanese horticulture V-VI. century, dating back to the founding of the state. Japanese gardens are characterized by a natural style, they have nothing of luxury or splendor. According to the Shinto religion, gods also reside in the natural elements, so they played a significant role in the evolution of the elements of the garden. Based on this perception, respect for nature shaped the basic elements of gardening, water, trees, rocks, mountains, hills, white sand. In the VI-VII. century, thanks to the support of Prince Shotoku, the spread of Buddhism was given free space. Then, in VI. By the end of the 19th century, it became a state religion and had a great influence on horticulture.

It was popular with the nobility

During the Heian period (784-1185), with the advent of the Tendai and Shingon sects, Buddhism and Shinto began to merge, which allowed Buddhism to become national. In the era, nobles designed their gardens themselves. The first textbook dealing with gardening was published by Sakuteiki, XI. dates back to the 16th century, two rolls of a national treasure, published in book form in the Edo era (700 years later). The boom in horticulture in this age may have been significant because the position of the nobility was strengthened, and this was accompanied by the construction of serious palaces.

It served as a place for meditation

This was followed by the Kamakura era, when, instead of the nobility, the leaders of the samurai order took over and military leaders ruled the rural centers, who preferred simplicity because of their lower origins. In the spiritual field, Zen Buddhism influenced the arts and culture, so small, abstract gardens were established in the monasteries, which served as meditation and immersion instead of entertainment. Their designers were Zen priests. The garden of the Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto is of outstanding importance.

This was followed by a turbulent period with ongoing feudal wars. Kyoto and with it the palaces and gardens within it were destroyed. Horticulture, on the other hand, was expanded with several new features as the ruling family favored the arts. It was then that the most abstract garden, the Zen Buddhist rock garden (dry garden), emerged. The arrangement of the stones communicated abstract thoughts, the arrangement served meditation. It is called a dry garden because the water is symbolized by white sand or gravel.

The western world has opened up

In the Edo era, trade and the economy flourished in the cities. Gardening has unfolded again. The features of the previous trend were adorned with new Chinese influences, the western influence was not yet perceptible at that time. The principle of arranging a borrowed landscape, which means inserting a particular natural place into a garden, was often used. The Meiji era lasted from 1868 to 1912. This is the period of the fall of feudalism, the emergence of the Western spirit, the development of capitalism. With the opening of ports and the appearance of traders and tourists, the Japanese gained an insight into the customs and culture of Westerners. They began to be pushed into the background by traditional customs and spread to Western styles and techniques. Gardening became a separate profession and garden design was already taught in college.

Wealthy citizens also built gardens next to their houses, but they also built modern gardens next to Buddhist buildings. Many small gardens were built in private houses with stone lanterns and varied vegetation.