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Japanese garden aesthetic principles, Borrowed scenery

Thu, May 23, 2013, by Muza-chan

Always searching for the perfect scenery, the Japanese garden designers are sometimes using a number of “tricks": one of the oldest techniques, called shakkei (commonly translated as “borrowed scenery") is to design the garden so that the surrounding scenery will offer a “background", dramatically improving the ambiance.

Thus, the garden can be placed nearby an old forest or in front of an important landmark, such as a temple or a castle. But most frequently, the garden designers are using nearby hills or mountains, like in this photo taken inside one of the oldest shakkei gardens in Japan, dating from the 14th century. This beautiful scenery, with the green Arashiyama mountain in the background, can be admired inside the Tenryū-ji Temple from Kyoto (near the famous Kyoto bamboo forest).

Click on photo for higher resolution:
Tenryu-ji Temple Garden, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Tenryu-ji Temple Garden, Arashiyama, Kyoto
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EXIF Info:

Nikon D90
Lens: VR 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/640s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 200
Japanese traditional architecture - Gatou roof tiles
Yesterday’s Japan Photo:

Japanese traditional architecture - Gatou roof tiles



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