How to create a Japanese garden (beginner level)
You can do it even if you are not in Japan!
How to create an authentic Japanese garden
I will write about these topics of concern in the form of a dialogue.
Popular with foreigners
What is the charm of Japanese gardens?
Interviewer｜
I heard that some Japanese people have achieved amazing feats at the Chelsea Flower Show, which is hosted by the British Royal Family and is known as the world’s top gardening show. What does the world of gardens look like from a global perspective?
Takaaki Yamaguchi（Sanpoh）｜
Kazuyuki Ishihara, originally from Nagasaki Prefecture, has achieved the world’s first feat of winning 12 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show nine times in a row since his first exhibition in 2004.
He has attracted a great deal of attention both at home and abroad as a garden designer.
Ishihara Kazuyuki’s gardens combine elements unique to Japanese gardens, such as moss and garden stones, with a playful, modern design featuring plants that change with Japan’s seasons, and I think this is what attracts so many people.
The plantations at Haneda Airport are famous, but Ishihara Kazuyuki’s gardens have now been recognised around the world, with his skills now seen all over Japan.
Interviewer｜
I’ve heard that Japanese gardens are popular, not just Kazuyuki Ishihara’s. What is the appeal of Japanese gardens that gardens around the world don’t have? As you said earlier, is it the four seasons, where the colors change four times a year depending on the weather?
Takaaki Yamaguchi（Sanpoh）｜
Of course, the four seasons are important to the charm of any garden, not just Japanese gardens. However, I think the greatest charm of Japanese gardens is “expressing natural scenery in the garden.” In the “karesansui gardens” often seen in Japanese temples, garden stones and plants are used to represent land and mountains, and gravel is used to represent water. The Karesansui Garden at the Adachi Museum of Art
(https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/gardens) is famous. There is also a landscaping technique called “shakkei,” which incorporates natural objects such as mountains and forests outside the garden into the background of the garden’s scenery. A Japanese garden is basically a garden that uses stonework, plantings, and water (karesansui). One of the joys is for the viewer to imagine what the gardener intended. In that sense, Japanese gardens are very profound, and I think that is also a factor that fascinates people around the world.
Interviewer｜
I see! So, I feel that in order to create a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand something “invisible” before understanding the “visible” form (technique). Something like “wabi-sabi”…
If a foreigner wants to create a Japanese-style garden, what steps should they take?
Takaaki Yamaguchi（Sanpoh）｜
Yes, that’s exactly what “wabi-sabi” is. Japanese gardens have been closely connected to the tea ceremony and flower arrangement since ancient times, so if you delve deeper into Japanese gardens, you’ll need knowledge of a wider range of fields.
But what I would like to recommend more casually to foreigners is the “tsuboniwa garden.” A tsubo garden is a small garden surrounded by a wall or fence, and you’ll almost always find one in a Kyoto townhouse.
They range in size from 1 tsubo (3.3 square meters) to 3 tsubo, and you can create a nice atmosphere just by arranging seasonal plants and tasteful garden stones. It’s also fun to choose what to incorporate, such as autumn leaves to enjoy the seasons or flowering trees.
To get started with a Japanese garden,
start with the easy-to-make “tsuboniwa garden.”
Interviewer｜
Tsuboniwa gardens are a great introduction to Japanese gardens! Please tell us in detail what to prepare and what steps to take so that foreigners can try them out.
Takaaki Yamaguchi（Sanpoh）｜
In my opinion, the most important thing in creating a Japanese-style garden is “selecting the materials and colors.”
Even with traditional materials (such as natural stone and gravel, roof tiles, bamboo and wooden fences, plastered walls, etc.), using more rustic materials makes it easier to create a Japanese atmosphere. Western-style bricks and sparkly tiles don’t go well with them. Keeping the overall colors muted will make it look more like a Japanese garden.
The steps to making a tsuboniwa garden are as follows.
1) First, decide where to make the garden.
Basically, you will surround it with a wall on two or three sides, so it is important to decide where you will be looking from.
2) Once you have decided on the location, draw a blueprint.
Make sure you have a clear image of what kind of garden you want to make.
3) Once you have a clear image, start making the garden.
First, make a wall to surround the garden. The ideal wall is about 1.8m high. Make sure it is sturdy.
4) Once the wall is complete, decide on the placement of the stones and plants.
Try placing the materials you have in mind. The order is stones → plants (medium to tall trees) → decorative finishes (moss, decorative gravel, etc.).
5) Finally, add moss to create an atmosphere.
Moss creates a moist and calming space. It can stay green all year round and is recommended as it provides healing throughout the four seasons.
Please feel free to enjoy a Japanese-style garden!
20年前を思い出しながら、英語版のブログに挑戦してみることにしました。
日本語版は、noteに綴っています。
英語版はMediumにアカウントをつくってみましたのでそちらにも綴っていきたいと思っています。
ひそかな新しい挑戦をどうぞ笑いながら眺めていただけたら嬉しいです。
2025 Taka
