For your winter enlightenment

SJG • 11/8/14

Please note: the link to Koichi's essay below is open to anyone by signing up. aleks.

1. Monologue on Japanese Garden from Koichi Kobayashi:

Dear Friends of Japanese Garden,

I have uploaded the following monologue at my academia.edu website.
Monologue on Japanese Garden :
How can we respond to a question of “What is Japanese Garden?” in a simple and clear manner for gardens outside of Japan? Draft, Feb. 2015

If interested,  please go to:
https://www.academia.edu/10469235/Monologue_on_Japanese_Garden_How_can_we_respond_to_a_question_of_What_is_Japanese_Garden_in_a_simple_and_clear_manner_for_gardens_outside_of_Japan

If you cannot make a link, please send me a message so that I can mail it to you directly.
Koichi Kobayashi

It starts with the following :

Preface

I started writing this paper to create an introduction as to how best to develop, design and foster Japanese gardens abroad.

Japanese garden has been said to be an important aspects of Japanese culture which nurtures international understanding and friendship. Many Japanese gardens have been built as products of attraction to things oriental, government public relations in form of expositions , friendship-sister city relationship, showing of wealth of individuals and others over the years in America and in Europe.

Even though these initial roles still exist, today the role of public and private Japanese gardens, especially in North America has expanded beyond landscaping and recreation; they are used in commercial settings, for weddings and events, for cultural programs for professional medical therapy and more.

I am, however, observing recurrent problems gardens facing changes in a name of making the gardens adapting to modern requirements and sustainability contrary o the soul of Japanese garden and problems in creation of gardens which astray from the soul of Japanese garden in my understanding.

I truly believe we should come back to the following to challenge questions:

What is Japanese garden (in Japan ) ? and

What is Japanese garden abroad?


2.  Butoh in Japanese Garden - Wandering & Wondering last August:

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2015 Continuing Education, Seattle Japanese Garden Unit 86:

Class, Film, Book, Field Trip Schedule