Himeji Koko-en, Tsukiyama garden

Japanese gardens are small-scale reproductions of nature scenes, so the ponds are representing seas or oceans, rocks can serve as islands, and a small water stream embodies a river.

The mound photographed here in the Koko-en garden represents a hill, and this element is also used to separate the main garden types. The flatland gardens are called hiraniwa, while those including mounds and ponds are called tsukiyama, hill gardens.