Japanese gardens - Kyoto and the Four Seasons. Photographs by Mizuno Katsuhiko

Japanese culture is suffused with a profound respect for nature: the Japanese garden follows its forms and tries to express, concretely or abstractly, its absolute beauty by making use of the three basic natural elements – stone, water and plant. The Japanese Cultural Institute in Rome exhibits the major gardens of Kyoto through forty photographs by Mizuno Katsuhiko, an expert in traditional Japanese culture and passionate about the beautiful landscapes of the Japanese imperial capital.

The Japanese garden, admirably represented in Kyoto, has a peculiar style compared to the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Western one, and went through and assimilated different historical and technical phases. In the Nara (710-794) and Heian (794-1185) periods, the shinden-zukuri architectural style flourished and gave life to impressive gardens with ponds to be enjoyed by boat. With the rise of the Samurai class in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the majestic gardens gave way to green areas intended for walks and excursions and then, with the spread of Buddhism, to the first Zen gardens, places of contemplation and spiritual exercise.

In the Muromachi period (1333-1568), following the Ōnin revolt, a large number of private gardens were razed to the ground in the center of Kyoto: in their place dry gardens were built, the karesansui. This new style, mixing with the sumptuous culture of the subsequent Momoyama period (1568-1603), will give life to gardens characterized by impressive rock compositions. During the long peaceful Edo period (1603-1868), the Japanese garden developed in many forms: from the majestic gardens of the imperial residences of Kyoto, to the refined dry gardens of Buddhist temples, to the small tea gardens created within confined spaces through meticulous calculations and ingenious solutions. Finally, from the Meiji period (1868-1912) the Japanese garden continued to develop and spread exponentially up to the present day.