Art Of Evoking Nature 's Majesty Within A Tight Space

Firstly, the traditions within Shintoism were important to help the Japanese people to connect with their ancestors and the nature around them. The word ‘Shinto’ itself means way of the gods. It is as old as the Japanese culture and was the only religion in Japan until the 6th century. According to the Shinto religion, there exists a basic life force called kami. Kami are close to human beings and respond to human prayers. They can influence the course of natural forces, and human events. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million kami in Japan. Due to their deep respect and love for nature and Japan itself, many shrines were set up in places of natural beauty. Followers went to pray here to receive good fortune and samurai would often go to the shrines to pray for victory before and after battle. Shinto’s traditions involved having a clean lifestyle. They washed and bathed everyday which made most of japan a fresh

The Samurai’s Garden, written by Gail Tsukiyama, incorporates the various aspect of myth throughout the plot, from how the Japanese worship to the rituals they perform. Stephan-san, a young Chinese man, when he first arrived in Tarumi Japan, discovered the Japanese ritual of being clean. The Japanese in this book had a strong desire to be sanitary in every aspect of their life both physically and morally. They used to be physically clean to visualize being spiritually clean. Another part of the mythology in this novel was the worshipping of the kami deities. These deities dwelled in the shrine near Tarumi and Stephan-san along with Matsu traveled to the shrine to worship and pray to the kami fox deity, the Inari. Two facets of The

When Stephen visits Sachi’s garden for the first time, he finds that “There were no trees, flowers, or water, only a landscape made of sand, stones, rocks, and some pale green moss . . . Sachi had created mountains from arranged rocks, surrounded by gravel and elongated stones flowing down like a rocky stream leading to a lake or the sea” (40). Unlike Matsu’s very green and tree-filled garden, Sachi’s garden is very dry, and simplistic, yet has a peculiarly admirable feeling when one is able to see the subtle details. Although it is very different from a typical garden, its components harmonize to create a new and beautiful pattern. At first, Stephen is overwhelmed by the unfamiliar concept of a dry landscape, but after taking it in, he says it is beautiful. This garden is has a fresh taste to it, leaving Stephen to decide the effect it has on him, whether it be positive or negative. When creating the garden, Sachi insisted that it should not have flowers. However, eventually, “between two large rocks grew a neat cluster of blooming flowers, startlingly beautiful, a splash of blue-purple . . . thriving among the muted, gray stones.” The way that the bright colors contrast against the dull gray shows that something unfamiliar and novel can appear beautiful in its own way. Since Sachi’s garden is filled with pebbles and stones, the dainty flowers stand out comely, and to

"The garden is a world filled with secrets. Slowly, I see more each day. The black pines twist and turn to form graceful shapes, while the moss is a carpet of green that invites you to sit by the pond. Even the stone lanterns, which dimly light the way at night, allow you to see only so much. Matsu 's garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden. There 's a quiet beauty here I only hope I can capture on canvas." - Stephen at the beach house planning to paint Matsu 's garden, page 31

Secrets fill the garden. In Gail Tsukiyama’s novel “The Samurai’s Garden”, she uses metaphors to show the audience the garden and its’ curator in a mysterious light. Tsukiyama’s character Stephen gazes upon Matsu’s garden with wonder and amazement. He compares it to another world, “The garden is a world filled with secrets… Matsu’s garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden” (Samurai 31). Tsukiyama creates another world within the fences of the garden. She integrates the secrets of its’ caretaker into the aura of the garden. The metaphor to another world impacts the reader by allowing the reader to see the mystery and beauty that shrouds it. The cloak of beauty shows

Along the side of the walkway in the pergola was a garden of small trees and shrubbery. Plants were present everywhere in the Palace, along the pergola and the rotunda, befitting the theme of a decaying ruin, overrun by nature. According to Maybeck, "it is the water and the trees" that people came to see (Macomber, 23). The natural scenery was integral to his design. The combination of majestic

The origin of Ikebana can be traced back to the sixth century during the Asuka period of Japan, when Buddhism was introduced to the Japanese (Stalker, 2017). The inspiration of Ikebana was from the Buddhist worship ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. The development of Ikebana was evolved from arranging flowers for the Buddhist altar as part of religious rituals (TwWiki, 2017), to becoming one of the most distinctive Japanese cultural art expressions. These researching suggested the practice of Ikebana is a combination of two Japanese primary religious belief system, Buddhism and Shito, where both beliefs have close relationships with nature, furthermore, the main feature defining Shito is Kami, the spirits that perceived in the natural world, these beliefs echo how Ikebana using living flora materials to characterize the living.

In the Onbeing, podcast “The Inner Landscape of beauty” Krista Tippet and John O’Donohue discusses the concept of beauty in the context of landscape which O’Donohue explains as the humanity prevailing against extreme cruelty; and the kind of return for the fortified consciousness of flowering life. Throughout the podcast O’Donohue claimed the Landscape reminiscence us into careful state of stillness, solitude, and quietness where you can truly get peace and the thoughtful approach will daze you its revelation. “Anam Cara” (soul friend) O’Donohue describe as vitality of the fullness spirit, personality, and wisdom, nature and health which we can achieve but needs attention. He further enlightens beauty by expressing it in what he heard in Irish

-The Chinese term for "landscape" is made up of two characters meaning "mountains and water." It is linked with the philosophy of Daoism, which emphasizes harmony with the natural world. Khan -By the late Tang dynasty, landscape painting had evolved into an independent genre that embodied the universal longing of cultivated men to escape their quotidian world to commune with nature. Such images also convey specific social, philosophical, or political convictions. During the early Song dynasty, visions of the natural hierarchy became metaphors for the well-regulated state. At the same time, images of the private retreat proliferated among a new class of scholar-officials. These men extolled the virtues of self-cultivation—often in response to

The Japanese culture really attracts me. I didn’t know they are good at Zen Garden before reading. One of the greatest examples of Zen Gardens is the Garden of the Daisen of Daitokuji by Soami. The garden as a whole is a miniature landscape. The big rocks represent a mountain while the wild area with gravels is the “ocean”. River, ocean, mountain, and plants, it is a tiny nature. Besides the fascinating design, it also combines with Zen Buddhist philosophy of time flies (Section 9.5).

Hasai, a young monk, was one day meditating in the garden of light. This garden contained flowers that held together the Earth, and if plucked the world would fall. This garden meant something different to Hasai, this garden's beauty amused him, he loved the pink tulips and yellow sunflowers. This garden was more of a home than a core that kept the world going. Hasai, thought this garden to be the reason he walked the Earth and lived such a peaceful life.

Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 12th century, although it became really prevalent during the 14th century. It accentuated enlightenment through instinct and meditation and as Zen teachings grew through Japan its influences could also be seen in their culture. Zen principles could be seen in Japanese art through their themes and method of illustration, and other cultural customs like the Japanese tea ceremony. The ceremony first started in humbler forms in Zen temples as a symbol of leaving the world to nurture the mind and spirit. The ceremony involved the ceremonial preparation, serving, and drinking of tea.

In the decades preceding World War I, a new type of art movement began: modernism. Ranging from the likes of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Friedrich Nietzsche and many others, Thomas Mann emerges as a powerful author in the movement of modernism. Mann writes The Magic Mountain describing the journey of Hans Castorp in the Swiss Alps where he stays at a sanatorium treating those with tuberculosis. He writes this novel as not as the story of Hans Castorp, but rather focusing on Hans Castorp’s journey, as Thomas Mann implies in the foreword: “The story of Hans Castorp that we intend to tell here ̶ not for his sake…, but for the sake of the story itself, which seems to us to be very much worth telling.” (ix)Thomas Mann writes The Magic Mountain

When the Mughals arrived in India, a tradition of garden design was already established in the Indian culture and beliefs. Indian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism had the elements of nature as traditions; especially in their symbolic and metaphoric meaning of planting as an act of piety. The Mughals introduced the Sunni Muslim religion into India and worked politically to sustain a stable empire with multiple religions. Miniatures portraying these gardens were found as well as drawings by Kaempfer who was a German writer. It is quite noticeable how Mughal gardens in Northern India are visually similar to the plans of the palace gardens in Safavid Isfahan, but their meanings to both dynasties differ on several levels. These differences are highlighted in parts of their plans, their political agendas, and their functional meanings.

Ikebana is a form of Japanese flower arrangement, which is closely related to Japanese’s religion and nature. It is different from other countries’ flower arrangements. Ikebana has different purposes and effects. Ikebana is not just a flower arrangement but also a spiritual concept about the harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Furthermore, it is also an art that appreciates the beauty of nature. This paper will discuss how Ikebana represents a Japanese culture. It is based on the principle of Ikebana, the impact on architecture, and the impact on Japanese also how Ikebana supports harmony in life, which is the important concept in Japanese culture. Nonetheless, it will also discuss the functions of Ikebana in Modern Japan.