Gardens mean a lot more to the Japanese than just somewhere to have a picnic or feed the ducks - that's what public parks are for. The layout and design of formal gardens is considered an art form and people train for many, many years to learn about the symbolism and gardening techniques reqired to establish a worthwhile garden.
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Sea of Sand かれさんすい
The sand in this garden represents the sea. The stones represent islands and continents. For the Japanese it is possible for a small sand garden to help them imagine the entire world. A famous sand garden is Roanji in Kyoto. When you sit on the side of this garden it is said that if you meditate well you can see all rocks at the same time. We go to this garden on the Japan Trip in Senior School. |
Stepping Stones とびいし
Walking on a stepping stone path requires much more attention than walking on a paved surface. This influences that way a visitor experiences the garden. While it is possible for two or more people to comfortably walk next to each other on neatly laid out paths and maybe have a conversation, a stepping stone path forces the visitors to go in line, one after the other. This is one reason why tea gardens often have stepping stones. While walking down the path to the tea house, the guests have time to "arrive" in the garden, leave their everyday life behind and prepare mentally for the tea ceremony to come. |
Lake せんすい
Lakes and the body of water they provide promote a sense of calm in a Japanese garden. The reflection of other parts of a Japanese garden in the water of a lake is also a beautiful element of a Japanese garden. The reflection of the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto is stunning. We also go to this garden on the Japan Trip in Senior School. |
Your task is to create a garden with at least 4 Japanese elements represented in it.
These elements could include:
You will be provided with a box to use as a base for your garden. There will be a collection of resources that you can use but you are also welcome to bring in your own from home. Use your creativity to try and come up with ways of making each element of your garden. |
To complete this project we will use the Design Cycle that you learnt about in your Digital Tech lessons.
Here is the booklet we will be using. |
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Writing your Garden's Description
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Write your Japanese paragraph here. Remember when using Genkoyoshi you leave the first square of a paragraph blank.
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Download this file and follow the instructions to create your good copy of your description. These paragraphs will be displayed with your Garden Designs at the Garden Show.
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Download this file to write your Garden Design Evaluation Report (the last page of your Garden Design Booklet)
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