CC BY
15Spiritualism and Symbolism: In creating Boukyon no Sato Japanese Garden
in Khabarovsku, Russia
Koichi Kobayashi Kobayashi Design, Seattle, Washington, USA Kobayashik206@gmail.com
Annotation. This paper illustrates first how Overriding Principles and Major Influencing Factors as this author have defined have been guiding development of "Bokyoenn MM^ffi" in Khabarovsku, Russia. Presentation covers Principles as identified and as manifested in Sakutei Ki Idea for creating the
garden in Khabarovsku, Russia was conceived to be a "Japanese garden" around the existing stone monument commemorating thirteen Japanese perished while they were imprisoned after the World War II. It is a very spiritual place and due to site size, financial and environment conditions, strong but appropriate design with symbolism due to its adoptability and flexibility has been called for and preferred.
Keywords: Symbolism, Japanese Garden, Internment Camp, Khabarovsku
1. Principles and influencing factors in design of Japanese Garden
Overriding Principles
Following is a concise statement composed by this author to answer a question of "What is Japanese Garden?" and to primarily address to Japanese Gardens outside of Japan based on a number of researches, interviews and visitation to date.
It is art in space where one could meditate and contemplate in receiving sense of serenity, pureness and peacefulness which leads to one's awareness of connection to the cosmos, and eternity.
Japanese Garden is a product of Japanese attitude toward nature and Japanese sense of aesthetic and where there is a sense of recalling natural scenery and passing of time.
This statement definitely reflects teachings in "Sakutei Ki text written by Toshitsuna Tachi-
bana from twelfth century. Although Sakuteiki, oldest Japanese Garden Design Manual addressed primarily for developing estate and court pleasure garden of Heian Period, overriding principles stated in the text apply to much diversified Japanese Gardens following Heian period, hence after and even today.
Three of the principles for designing a garden stated in it cover as follows:
1. Conditions of the site and surrounding should be thoroughly studied. Shape of the pond and landscape should be configured according to beloved natural scenery.
2. Design should respond to works of ancient masters and wishes of users should be listened to. Only after this process designer should exercise his own subjectivity.
3. Make reference to recall good and beloved natural scenery in design garden.
Main Influencing Factors
Under the preceding principles, garden design will be developed employing main factors influencing for viewing, appreciating, understanding and designing Japanese Gardens. These are the factors commonly utilized in describing or defining Japanese garden to date: Spirituality/Sociality-Period, Purpose/Function, Style* Zoning, Representative Architectural Style, Representative Technique and Ornamental/Iconic Elements
Spirituality/Sociality-Period:
Classical gardens are strongly connected to Japanese mythology, religion and fashion of the period. Jyodo and Zen are quoted most often. Even though not directly connected to any religion, Japanese people are keenly aware of their linkage and they will read it for connection from space, use of elements and placement.
Purpose/Function: A diverse style exists in Japanese garden design responding to purposes and function of the space and area. They can be for pleasure, religious need and showing of supremacy as in Daimyo Garden.
Style* Zoning and Representative Architectural Style:
Layout of the garden is tied very closely with purpose/function and building. Shinden and Shoin style are showing opposing contrast. Tea style garden exhibits harmony between building and garden.
Representative Technique:
Essential parts of technique include symbolism, grey and void space, key stone placement, abstraction, borrowed view, hide and seek, boundary, framing, bending, diagonal line, stressed curve, perspective, sequential space /open and closed and vista.
Ornamental/Iconic Elements: They include selection of plants, stone and stone lantern, bridge, gate, fence, stone paving, stone structures, land form and waterscape/fall and stream.
2. Development of "Bokyoenn MM^ffi" in Khabarovsk, Russia
Historical background and location
Idea for creating a garden in Khabarovsku, Russia was conceived to be a "Japanese garden" around the existing stone monument commemorating thirteen Japanese perished while they were imprisoned after the World War II. Over 600,000 Japanese were imprisoned all over Soviet Union and over 50,000 died during this internment. There was a stone quarry in the Village of Korfovsky, a part of Khabarovsku, where Japanese imprisoned nearby worked and thirteen of them died while inprisment. A graveyard was created in the village and a stone memorial was errected by a group of Japanese in 1990's. In 2019, the village decided to build a Japanese Garden to commemorate this historical event around the existing stone memorial and for villiger's recreation and enjoyment.
Opportunities and constraints for developing Japanese Garden at Korfovsky
There are a number of opportunities and constraints for developing the garden as below:
Opportunities:*Story requiring healing * People with warm heart * Nature exhibiting hope * Climate to be reckoned with
Constraints:* Climate (Plants availability) * No use of water * No use of movable features * Limited materials * Limited skilled craft man * Limited financial resource.
Inspiration and Symbolism
Inmates at the prison faced severe environmental conditions, forced labor and loneliness for longing for their homeland during the imprisonment. They often sang a childhood song, very dear to all Japanese titled "Furusato ) Homeland/town" to heal their soul and loneliness. Verse includes lines of "we
are all longing for our hometown where we used to chase rabbits in the mountains and to catch small fishes
in the stream.....". They were very hungry for natural landscape of Japan. To symbolize this history and their
longing for Japan are the basis for developing this garden. A number of Japanese scenic and historic and religious sites gave inspiration for further development. (Fig. 1 & 2)
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Fig. 1 Song of Furusato
Fig. 2 Inspiration from Natural Scenery
Pattern Development
In selecting design pattern for the garden, a series of workshop were conducted and it resulted in a number of diagrams. First diagram (Fig. 3) illustrates a collection of ideas produced by volunteers (design professionals and non from Japan and USA, numbering over 50).
Evaluation of these diagrams indicated a strong preference toward informal and natural pattern. The second diagram indicates application of design style alternatives from Russian Formal, Japanese Informal/Natural and Cosmopolitan Modern. (Fig. 4)
Japanese Informal/Natural Cosmopolitan Modern
Fig. 3 Development of patterns Fig. 4 Design Pattern Alternatives
Zoning, Layout and Design Elements
Zoning and layout of the garden is illustrated in (Fig. 5) with three major zones of Place for Prayer, Place for Longing for Home and Place for Life, Rain, Water and Wetland.
Major Design Elements are Commemorative Stone Post and Stone Paved Processional Walkway recalling rituality and will include Symbolic Hill simulating Mount Hiei and Higashiyama Hill, Symbolic Stone Lantern, Symbolic Stone Setting simulating waterfall, cascade, river and cobble beach. (Fig. 6)
ODS Place for Prayer
ÏSp®iS: MtK St® Place for Life: Rain Water & Wetland
t+HS«;t Plan Concept
Fig. 5 Plan Concept Fig. 6 Design Elements
Representative Techniques Employed
Following technique will be employed in designing this garden as illustrated on Fig. 7 Sequential Direction with Open/Closed Space, Featured View exhibiting symbolism, View Point, Eye Stop and Enclosure and Boundary
Fig. 7 Representative Techniques Employed Master Design
Fig. 8 Master Plan Fig. 9 Scale Model
Dedication Ceremony for Phase One Completion
Dedication ceremony for Phase one completion covering entrance stone paved walkway setting for commemorative stone in 2019. (Fig. 9). Originally phase two work involving hill, wetland and setting of stones with volunteers from Japan, Canada and USA were to be scheduled in 2020, however further work is held off due to Corona Virus Pandemic at this time. Fig. 10 shows detail of hill, stone and cobble beach work waiting.
Fig. 10 Dedication for the Phase One Fig. 11 Scale model for symbolic hill
Conclusion
Present and future development of this garden vividly indicates how adaptation of symbolism through abstraction and simplification could be employed as the main theme and has revealed that the symbolism with its flexibility is the essence of Japanese Garden.
Bibliography:
1. Seiko Goto and T. Naka, Japanese Gardens: Symbolism and Design. Rutledge Co. 2016
2. Koichi Kobayashi, Study on Japanese Garden Abroad. Create Space Publishing, 2019
