By Pete Putnicki

From November 6 to November 13, I was included in a long-delayed tour of Japan hosted by the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA), with support from the Japan Foundation. This tour was provided to a broad spectrum of garden professionals—from administrative personnel to hands-on horticultural staff—from public Japanese gardens across seven states.

We were primarily guided by Professor Makoto Suzuki of Tokyo University, as well as his associates, Takura Koyama and Professor Pingxing Zhang, with the crucial assistance of Hugo Tori (Portland Japanese Garden), and Marisa Rodriguez (NAJGA).

Day 1

Kyu Yasuda Garden, Tokyo (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

Our tour began in Tokyo, where we were given unique access to several public gardens by our hosts from Tokyo Metropolitan Parks, Tokyo Metropolitan Cemetery association and Sumida City Parks. We were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at several large urban gardens (including Koishawa Korakuen and Kyu Yasuda Garden) and learned about maintenance practices developed for their growing conditions. Our first day was capped off by a special reception at Kiyosumi Garden featuring a moon viewing with a spectacular lunar eclipse.

Kiyosumi Garden, Tokyo (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

Kiyosumi Garden is a spectacular Meji-era stroll/pond Garden built on the site of an older Edo-era garden. It is noted for the quality and variety of stone used in its construction. The stone was sourced from all over Japan, a legacy of its original owner, Iwaska Yotaro, founder of the Mitsubishi company, which was originally a major shipping company.

Day 2

The following day, we continued in Tokyo, visiting the historic Kuso Yasuda House and Garden and the Kyu Furukawa Gardens, two examples of the early blending of Western and traditional Japanese architecture and gardening.

The Kyu Furukawa House and western Garden were designed by Josiah Condor, a 19th-century British architect who came to Japan to teach western architecture early in the Meiji era. He designed several notable historic buildings and wrote one of the earliest English-language books about Japanese gardening. The Japanese Garden at this site was designed by famed designer Ogawa Jihei and was one of the first gardens to use an electric pump to feed its waterfall and stream.

We were also treated to a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing major renovation work at the Sensoji temple in Asakusa.

Day 3

A carefully tended pine in the Kyoto Gyoen garden (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

The next day, we took the Shinkansen rail to Kyoto, the imperial capitol before 1869 and home to many of Japan’s most famous gardens. Here we visited both historic and more recent gardens to help develop our understanding of Japanese gardens as a living art form.

We began with the Shusuitei tea house and garden at the Imperial palace compound. This is a spectacular example of both tea garden and Sukiya architecture. We also toured the gardens of the Imperial Palace and the Kyoto Gyoen. These gardens include both impressive formal and carefully tended naturalistic elements.

Day 4

Karesansui, dry garden at Ryoanji, Kyoto (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

Our first full day in Kyoto began with tours of two of Japan’s most famous gardens, Ryoanji and Kinkakuji. In the minds of many, the dry garden (karesansui) at Ryoanji is the quintessential example of a “Zen Garden.” It—along with the Imperial villa at Katsura—was influential to many early western visitors studying Japanese gardens and art. The “Golden Pavilion” at Kinkakuji is an iconic image.

Kinkakuji and its reflection in the pond, Kyoto (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

Following the tours, we spent the afternoon at the Daitoku-ji monastery complex. The many sub-temples in this site have some of the finest examples of temple gardens in Japan. Here we saw gardens from various eras (1500s to 1960s) that all reflect the carefully refined style of temple gardens. The arrangement of stone in the dry gardens, and the tending of trees and plants all within the limited space of the urban temple grounds, highlight the true genius of Japanese gardening as an art and craft. The original gardens at Ryogen-ji and Daisen-in (from the 1500s) became the examples for generations of garden builders and are still some of the best. We were also able to visit the garden at Oubai-in—only open a couple of times each year—to see some of the earliest tea-gardens and a truly spectacular dry garden. The garden at Zuiho-in is relatively recent, built by the leading light of Modern Japanese garden design, Shigemori Mirei, in the 1960s. It includes dramatic stone arrangement and delicate symbolic touches referring to the temple’s history.

Dramatic stone arrangement at Daitokuji Zuiho In, Kyoto (Photo: Pete Putnicki)

Our day ended with a visit to, and reception at, the Suzaku Garden at Umekoji Park, near Kyoto’s central rail station—a modern take on the idea and image of a Japanese garden located in a large public park. The park includes highly stylized gardens and natural areas, reflecting the juxtaposition seen at the Imperial palace.

Day 5

Our last full day in Kyoto included a unique guided tour of several spectacular gardens from Tomiki Kato, president of Ueyakato Landscape, a company with well over a century of experience fostering some of Japan’s garden treasures. We visited the early Edo-era gardens at Nanzen-ji and Konchi-in. We discussed some of issues around 20th-century renovations and the complexity of preserving and enhancing designated Cultural Heritage sites. This conversation was continued and expanded as we toured Murin-an, a 19th-century garden and Designated Place of Scenic Beauty. This Garden is a great example of the development of Japanese gardens from when Japan began to integrate its arts and culture with the west in the late 19th century. We discussed the finer points of preserving the intent of a garden while addressing the dynamic changes that occur, from development of the surrounding neighborhood to the growth of trees and shrubs to changes in use and visitation.

We completed our tour with a visit to the Kyoto Museum of Craft and Design, a museum dedicated to the unique handcrafts and arts of the ancient capitol. From lacquerware to ceramics to pickled vegetables, a care and respect for these distinct traditions is valued.

My last stop was the gardens at Kodai-ji and Entoku-in in the Higashiyama hills, illuminated for evening visitors.

This tour and unique access to some of the most beautiful gardens in Japan were beyond value. I also was extremely grateful to experience the discovery—and discuss the experience—with garden professionals form across the United States. I will continue to draw inspiration from this experience for years to come.

Pete Putnicki is the Head Gardener at the Seattle Japanese Garden.

A Diary of My Japan Study Tour