Japanese Rock Garden
The Real Rock Garden Credit: Frantisek Staud
I would make a horrible landscaper. I learned that yesterday.
When I decided to join a beginner’s Japanese Rock Garden workshop during the 2009 Japan Cultural Day at the Des Moines Botanical Center, I had no idea what I got myself into. Except the fact that I was given a cardboard tray filled with sand and that I had to choose five rocks: the spirit, the heart, the arms and feet, and the body. Erm, don’t rocks all look the same?
Apparently not—not to the Japanese anyway. For them, rocks are sacred—just like elephants are for the Thais. And they are featured in the Japanese national anthem: “…for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss.” So, for the Japanese, rocks aren’t just solid matters. They represent the spirit, the mind and the soul. In Shintoism, rocks could be tied to the Japanese Gods.
In the Japanese Rock Garden, or the Zen Garden, rocks can represent mountains, while sand or fine gravels represent ocean, rivers, sea or lakes. You can rake the sand to make different patterns of ripples. Then, you place the five rocks—in almost random order—on your landscape. The rule: don’t make them align.
Which makes this terribly difficult for me. I see things in lines. I want my rocks to create a nice, smooth line.
Here’s my tray before I did something to it:
And this is after I have switched the rocks around
Don’t ask me what this garden represents: I don’t know. I just put things together and wait for the outcome.
Maybe I should practice seeing things in a more meaningful terms.
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Hey, Sam
You pretty much forgot to mention that you were force into the Japanese Rock Garden demo. But don’t worry, I was also terrible in Japanese Rock Gardening. I’m glad that i found your blog site, I expect good reports from you in Japan and your hometown. ^o^
Thank you for visiting my site, and perhaps googling my name? Yes, I left that fact out because I was pretending that I actually wanted to learn what Japanese Rock Garden is. Anyway, I had no idea what it was until I did it. And really, I thought it was fun. I mean, it would have been better if I were good at arranging rocks.
Well, I certainly plan to update stuff from Bangkok and Japan, so come back and check out often
All hail the Great Sam \(^o^)/
I and everyone will miss the legendary Jpop queen
I’m no J-pop queen, haha.
I am way amateur comparing to other Japanese people. >_<
But thanks for the praise!