Daikaku-ji

The connection between Japanese gardens and the buildings constructed in or beside them is of crucial significance for an understanding of both the gardens and the buildings.From the earliest history of the Japanese garden, it was always intended to be seen from one or more structures: palaces, noble villas, monastic residences, tea houses, private homes, or viewing pavilions. Certain gardens were also intended to be experienced more directly, by foot ("stroll gardens") or by boat, but the successful integration of architectural space and the surrounding landscape was always an important consideration. It was made possible, in part, by the remarkable transparency of many Japanese buildings, in which sliding doors or hinged shutters can make possible a free flow of space from interior to exterior.

Although relatively recent in date, the meandering plan of Daikaku-ji mirrors the noble villas of the Heian aristocracy. The covered walk ways that connect one building with another divide the estate into a series of small rectangular courtyards that are essentially individual gardens. The small, private, courtyard gardens found in modern Japan are the heirs to such a scheme.

My thanks to Clifton C. Olds, Professor of Art History Emeritus, Bowdoin College for his help and fantastic resource.