Visiting Japan, in traditional gardens or in areas with houses you will notice many trees, shrubs and bushes carefully trimmed in round shapes. This is a Japanese gardening technique called o-karikomi, similar to the European topiary.

However, unlike topiary, where the plants are cut to create geometrical shapes or complex figures, the Japanese o-karikomi aims to create round, natural-looking shapes, integrating them with the untouched nature. For example, in this photo taken in Okayama Koraku-en, the shrubs were made to suggest the ocean waves…

Okayama Koraku-en, Okayama

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese spiritual architecture, Komyodo Hall