SEATTLE JAPANESE GARDEN
Designed
in the
Stroll-Garden
Style
B y C o r i n n e K e n n e d y
ABOVE: The Japanese Garden, with a
meandering path around its central pond.
(Photo by Fr.Ted/Wikimedia Commons)
The Japanese Garden at Washington Park Arboretum
was designed as a stroll garden, a style that dates from
the early years of Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868).
Large in scale and created for enjoyment, the stroll garden
features a central pond surrounded by a meandering path and
often incorporates a teahouse. The modern Japanese term for it
is kaiyūshiki teien, translated as “excursion-style garden.”
Various garden styles preceded it. Large hill-and-pond
gardens (sansui) were built by the Japanese aristocracy from
the 8th to the 11th centuries. Viewed from pleasure boats and
large buildings, these included large ponds and high hills,
created to represent oceans and mountains.
The 13th century and the rise of Zen Buddhism saw the
development of austere, relatively small hardscape gardens
(kare-sansui) consisting of stones, raked gravel, and few or no
plants. Sometimes called “Zen gardens,” these dry-landscape
displays were designed for contemplation and meditation.
Visitors viewed them from an adjoining veranda instead of
experiencing them from within.
Summer 2020 v 3