Japanese gardens have long been regarded as a sanctuary and safe space for the tranquility and calmness they promote. Zen gardens, as they are popularly called, are meticulously created using seven essential concepts: Austerity Koko, Simplicity Kanso, Naturalness Shinzen, Asymmetry Fukinsei, Mystery or Subtlety Yugen, Magical or Unconventional Datsuzoku, and Stillness Seijaku. In order to achieve its goal of creating a stunning and serene space where one can truly introspect and connect with self and nature, a Zen garden must embody and evoke most, if not all, of these guiding principles.
In London, there are a number of Japanese gardens. But perhaps the best place to immerse oneself in all that a Zen garden has to offer is at the Japanese Landscape at Kew Gardens and at Kyoto Garden in Holland Park.
The Japanese Landscape at Kew Gardens
Also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens is a biodiverse botanic property that boasts more than 50,000 living plants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that, apart from its massive collection of plant species, also houses state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to scientific research. The botanic institution is committed to understanding and protecting plants and fungi, for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.
This 500-acre parcel of pristine property in Richmond, southwest London, is a lush oasis of life. It showcases colorful blooms along its Great Broad Walk Borders; a vast collection of temperate woody plants at its Arboretum; rare and threatened plants in its Temperate House, the world’s biggest Victorian glasshouse; and an intricately designed Japanese Landscape area.
Japanese gardens have long been regarded as a sanctuary and safe space for the tranquility and calmness they promote.
Among the main attractions of the Zen garden is the Japanese Gateway, Chokushi-Mon, or Gateway of the Imperial Messenger. Crafted in the late 16th centuryMomoyama or Japanese rococo architectural style, Chokushi-Mon is a replica of The Gate of Nishi Hongan-ji, the Western Temple of the Original Vow, in Kyoto, Japan. Chokushi-Mon was originally built in 1910, for the Japan-British Exposition held at White City in London. It was restored in 1996 and now graces the breathtaking Japanese Landscape designed by Professor Fukuhara of Osaka University.
Kew Gardens’ Japanese Landscape comprises three sections: The Garden of Peace — accessible through the main entrance on paths flanked by stone lanterns and water features — is evocative of a traditional Japanese tea garden; the Garden of Activity, which highlights natural elements like graceful slopes, raked gravel, and large rocks; and the Garden of Harmony, which unites the two sections and displays Rhododendron and Japanese anemone shrubs, interspersed with stones and rock outcrops. There is also a Great Pagoda tower, located near the Temperate House.
Kyoto Garden in Holland Park
The kaiyushiki (stroll garden)-style estate first opened in 1991, designed by acclaimed Japanese garden designer, Shoji Nakahara, and created under the watchful eye of the Kyoto Garden Association, funded by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce. The garden was designated as a gift from Japan, to commemorate its longstanding friendship with Great Britain. HRH Prince (now King) Charles and His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince of Japan presided over the opening, which was a part of the Japan Festival. The garden reopened in 2011, after extensive refurbishments and restoration work by a team of specialist gardeners flown in for the job from Japan.
Kyoto Garden is embraced by the 22-acre Holland Park, in the affluent west London Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a verdant, vibrant traditional Japanese garden that features soothing multi-tiered waterfalls with a rock formation, a restful pond teeming with Koi fish, and customary Zen design elements such as stone lanterns and cobbled pathways. The luxuriant landscaping showcases trees, shrubs, and plants that are customarily used in Zen gardens, such as Japanese maple or Acer trees (which are a riot of color in the fall), bamboo, Japanese Cloud Trees, and the like. A number of peacocks roam the grounds, adding to the regal, restful ambiance.
Thriving and evergreen, through centuries
While the concept and creation of the very first Japanese garden dates to religious and traditional beliefs of the Asuka Period, in the 6th or 7th century, the style of landscaping thrives to the present day. These gardens provide respite, amidst the hubbub of the modern world. They are soothing not only to the eye but to the soul, as well.
For their stunning ethereal beauty, intricate yet uncluttered aesthetic, symbolic value, and benefits to one’s well-being, Japanese Zen gardens remain beloved and renowned across the world.
