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Japanese Garden Vocabulary

Japanese Garden Vocabulary

Japanese Garden Vocabulary

Words that bring depth, meaning and beauty to Japanese gardens and design

Japanese gardens are shaped not only by stone, water, plants and timber, but by ideas about space, nature, balance and the passage of time.

Many of the words used to describe Japanese gardens have meanings that are difficult to express in a single English word. Understanding them gives a little more insight into the thinking behind the garden – and can help when planning your own.

Below is a selection of Japanese words and expressions that you will often encounter when exploring Japanese gardens, architecture and traditional design.

For a wider introduction, explore JapanGarden's guide to The Various Styles of Japanese Gardens.

Ma — 間

Space • Interval • Pause

Ma describes the space or interval between things. In Japanese design, what is deliberately left empty can be just as important as what is placed within the space.

A gap between stones, an open area of gravel or the space between buildings can create rhythm, balance and calm.

In a garden: Ma helps prevent a composition from becoming crowded and allows individual features to be appreciated.

JapanGarden also explores the idea of Ma in its information section, alongside other articles about Japanese garden design.

Shakkei — 借景

Borrowed scenery

Shakkei is the Japanese practice of incorporating the surrounding landscape into the composition of a garden.

A distant mountain, a tree beyond the garden boundary or even the changing sky can become part of the view.

Rather than trying to isolate the garden from its surroundings, Shakkei makes the wider landscape part of the garden itself.

In a garden: Look beyond the boundary before deciding what to hide. A distant view may be one of your most valuable garden features.

JapanGarden's guide to The Various Styles of Japanese Gardens explains the traditional principle of "borrowed views".

Wabi-Sabi — 侘寂

Beauty in imperfection and impermanence

Wabi-sabi is an aesthetic associated with simplicity, natural materials, age and the acceptance of change.

Weathered timber, moss-covered stone, an uneven surface or a beautifully aged piece of bamboo can acquire character rather than needing to look new and perfect.

In a garden: Natural ageing, patina and seasonal change can become part of the beauty of the garden.

This appreciation of natural materials and restraint runs throughout Japanese garden design.

Karesansui — 枯山水

Dry landscape garden

Karesansui literally refers to a dry landscape. These gardens use elements such as rocks, gravel and carefully controlled planting to suggest mountains, islands, water and wider landscapes.

Perhaps the best-known examples are associated with Zen temple gardens.

In a garden: Gravel can represent water while stones become mountains or islands, allowing a landscape to be suggested with remarkably few physical elements.

JapanGarden's Zen Gardens and Why We Rake looks more closely at raked gravel, water symbolism and traditional patterns.

You can also explore The Various Styles of Japanese Gardens for a broader understanding of Japanese garden styles.

Niwaki — 庭木

Garden trees • Carefully trained trees

Niwaki refers to trees that have been carefully shaped and trained for use within a garden.

Rather than simply allowing a tree to grow naturally, pruning and training can emphasise its structure, age and relationship with the surrounding landscape.

In a garden: The aim is not simply to make a tree smaller, but to create a considered form that belongs to its setting.

Niwaki is closely related to the wider Japanese approach to planting, where form, silhouette, seasonality and the way a plant ages can be more important than simply the number of different plants used.

Tsukubai — 蹲

Stone water basin

A Tsukubai is a low water basin traditionally associated with Japanese tea gardens. Visitors would traditionally use it to rinse their hands before entering the tea garden or tea house.

Its low position encourages a gesture of humility as the visitor bends towards the water.

In a garden: A Tsukubai can introduce water, sound and a sense of ritual into even a relatively small garden.

JapanGarden's Water section includes granite water basins, bamboo fountains, deer scarers and other Japanese-style water features.

Shishi-Odoshi — 鹿威し

Bamboo water feature • Deer scarer

Shishi-odoshi is a bamboo device originally associated with scaring animals from agricultural areas.

As water fills the bamboo tube, it tips and empties, returning with a gentle knock against its support. The distinctive sound has become closely associated with Japanese gardens.

In a garden: The movement and sound of a Shishi-odoshi can provide a simple reminder of water and passing time.

See JapanGarden's Bamboo Deer Scarers and Water Features for the current range.

Tōrō — 灯籠

Japanese garden lantern

Tōrō are traditional lanterns used in Japanese gardens and around temples and shrines.

Stone lanterns come in many forms and proportions, with different styles traditionally associated with different settings.

Their role is not simply practical. A lantern can establish a focal point, frame a path or provide a vertical element within a predominantly horizontal landscape.

In a garden: Position and proportion are often more important than simply choosing the largest or most elaborate lantern.

JapanGarden's Granite collection includes a wide selection of Japanese-style stone lanterns and other granite garden features.

Rōji — 露地

Tea garden • Garden path

Rōji refers to the garden associated with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

The path through the garden is part of the experience. Its purpose is not simply to get from one place to another, but to gradually separate the visitor from the everyday world and prepare the mind for the tea ceremony.

In a garden: A simple path, carefully placed stepping stones and restrained planting can create a feeling of journey and anticipation.

JapanGarden's Understanding the Tea Ceremony explores the relationship between the tea ceremony, garden approach, season and Japanese hospitality.

Tsubo-Niwa — 坪庭

Courtyard garden

A Tsubo-niwa is a small enclosed garden, traditionally associated with Japanese houses and urban spaces.

Although compact, it can contain many of the elements found in a larger Japanese garden – stone, water, planting, bamboo and carefully framed views.

In a garden: A small space does not prevent a Japanese garden from having atmosphere and depth.

JapanGarden's guide to Japanese garden styles is a useful starting point for exploring the different approaches to garden design.

Engawa — 縁側

Veranda • Transitional space

An Engawa is a traditional Japanese architectural space forming a transition between the interior and exterior.

It creates a place from which the garden can be viewed and enjoyed while remaining partly sheltered from the weather.

In design: The boundary between house and garden becomes less definite, allowing the garden to become part of everyday life.

This relationship between interior and garden is also reflected in JapanGarden's work with Japanese interior design.

Shōji — 障子

Translucent sliding screen

Shoji are traditional Japanese screens made from a timber lattice covered with translucent material.

They allow light to pass through while providing privacy and creating a soft, diffused quality of light.

In interiors: Shoji demonstrate the Japanese use of light, shadow, proportion and simplicity to transform an interior without making it feel enclosed.

JapanGarden supplies both traditional Japanese Washi paper and modern Acry Warlon materials. Our guide Japanese Acrylic or Traditional Shoji Paper? explains the differences and helps you decide which material is appropriate for your project.

For existing screens, our practical guide How to Mend a Paper or Shoji Screen explains how traditional Shoji paper can be repaired or replaced.

Tatami — 畳

Traditional Japanese floor mat

Tatami are traditional Japanese floor coverings made from woven rush over a structured core.

Their proportions have historically influenced the dimensions of Japanese rooms and buildings, making Tatami more than simply a floor covering.

In interiors: The repeated proportions of Tatami can provide a natural framework for arranging furniture, screens and other elements of a Japanese-style room.

JapanGarden's information section includes Tatami alongside its other Japanese interior resources.

Suikinkutsu — 水琴窟

Water • Sound • Resonance

A Suikinkutsu is a traditional Japanese garden feature in which water dripping into a buried vessel creates delicate resonant sounds beneath the ground.

The sound is subtle and often discovered rather than immediately noticed.

In a garden: It is a beautiful example of how Japanese garden design can engage the ear as well as the eye.

It also illustrates an important characteristic of Japanese gardens: features do not always need to announce themselves. Some are intended to be discovered gradually.

Kokedama — 苔玉

Moss ball planting

Kokedama are plants grown with their roots contained within a ball of soil and wrapped in moss.

They combine living plants with a simple, sculptural form and can be displayed individually or grouped together.

In design: Kokedama reflect an appreciation for natural materials, restrained presentation and the beauty of living things.

Hashi — 橋

Bridge

A Hashi is a bridge, and in Japanese gardens bridges can serve both a practical and symbolic purpose.

They may cross water, gravel or a change in level, while also marking a transition from one part of the garden to another.

In a garden: A bridge can create movement through the landscape and encourage the visitor to experience the garden as a journey.

JapanGarden's Granite collection includes Japanese-style stone bridges and other features that can form part of a garden composition.

A little Japanese goes a long way

These words are more than names for garden features. They describe ways of looking at space, nature and the relationship between people and their surroundings.

A Japanese garden does not need to contain every traditional element. Often, the most successful gardens use just a few carefully chosen features and allow them enough space to be appreciated.

A single stone lantern, a stretch of bamboo, a water basin or a carefully positioned tree can change the character of a garden when it is placed with thought and restraint.

Perhaps that is one of the most useful lessons in Japanese garden design:

It is not always what you add that matters most, but what you leave space for.

Explore JapanGarden

Explore the wider JapanGarden Information Section for articles, guides and practical information about Japanese gardens, interiors and Japanese culture.

For those starting from scratch, So You Want to Build a Japanese Garden? provides a more detailed introduction to the process and different garden styles.

If stones are of particular interest, Japanese Stones and Their Use provides an extensive introduction to Japanese stone terminology and their traditional use in gardens.

And if you are interested in Japan itself, explore Visiting Japan for the First Time and the other Japan and Japanese culture resources within the Information section.

JapanGarden has been specialising in Japanese garden products and design since 1997.