Besides the courtyard ornamental garden, that can be admired from the veranda, some traditional restaurants and wealthy houses are also adorned with small interior gardens. They are called tsubo-niwa, a name that indicates their size, because niwa means “garden” and tsubo is a surface equal to 2 tatami mats, 3.3 square meters.

Since thay are so small, they are designed to be admired entirely from outside, and are usually including a stone lantern, a water basin, a few stepping stones and some green plants…

Ohashi House, Kurashiki

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese spiritual architecture, Shimonoseki Akama-jingu