The garden at Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture.
The garden of the Kyoto residence-museum of the late great garden designer Mirei Shigenori.
The dry landscape garden at Kyoto’s Kanchi-in, a subtemple of To-ji.
A sea of raked gravel at Kyoto’s Buddhist temple Zuiho-in.
The sand cone in the dry landscape garden at Ryosoku-in symbolizes Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology.
Stones represent a flowing stream at Kyoto’s Shinnyo-in Temple.
A pavilion at the edge of the pond at Happo-en Garden in Tokyo’s Shirokanedai.
Stepping stones cross a corner of a pond at Tokyo’s Kiyosumi Teien.
A stone chozubachi water basin and bamboo ladle accessorize a garden in Kyoto.
A footpath styled from old millstones once used for grinding buckwheat (soba) crosses the pond at Isui-en in Nara.
A cherry tree in full bloom adds to the grace of the “Full Moon Bridge” at Ritsurin Koen park in Takamatsu, Shikoku.
A zigzag yatsuhashi boardwalk over iris beds at Korakuen in Okayama.
A monk rakes the dry landscape garden at Myoman-ji Temple in Kyoto.
Leafy shadows dapple the Kyoto temple garden at Hoso-in.
Snow carpets the Abbot’s Hall garden in Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto.
Exceptional rocks are set on a ground of raked gray gravel at a subtemple garden within Kyoto’s Myoshin-ji complex.
A grass covered recreation of Mount Fuji punctuates Kumamoto’s stroll garden Suizen-ji Joju-en on the island of Kyushu.
The “Dragon in the Clouds” garden by Mirei Shigemori at the Ryogin-an Temple in Kyoto.
Traditional straw rope snow guards (yukizuri) are suspended above pine trees at Kanazawa’s famous Kenrokuen garden.
Lush greenery surrounds a chozubachi water basin at Kyoto’s Sanzen-in Temple.
One of Japan’s best-known dry landscape gardens belongs to Kyoto’s Ryoan-ji Temple.
geishas and maikos
The word geisha means “art person.” It is little known that the original geisha were men. Geisha are highly trained and skilled in the traditional arts of entertainment—lighthearted games, playing musical instruments (particularly the three-stringed shamisen) and traditional Japanese dancing—while wittily conversing and graciously serving food and drinks. It is a career in which they are able to work to quite an advanced age. In the distant past, girls sometimes began their training very young, at age ten or so, but today’s mandatory education laws mean that girls must complete middle school and so are unable to begin such intensive training until about fifteen. These days, when greater choices are available for women, being a geisha is not such a popular career.
Geisha dress splendidly in the most gorgeous kimono and obi sashes, making their appearance like party confections, adding to the extraordinary overall artistic effect.
Geisha, or geiko in the local Kyoto dialect, and their maiko apprentices, are symbols of that city, which was an ancient capital of Japan where traditions are still strongly upheld.
Geisha and maiko live together, sorority style, with a mama-san in charge in a house called an okiya. They are hired to accompany and entertain clients at parties in certain teahouses and restaurants. Their company is quite costly, and is calculated “per stick,” as traditionally a certain sum is charged for each period of time needed for a stick of incense to burn down, roughly ten minutes.
During Hassaku, a geisha dressed in a formal black kimono and hair ornament suitable to the month of August, pays respect to her teachers.
This geisha wears a silver, coral and gemstone sash clasp (obidome) for a festive occasion.
A group of geisha attend an outdoor tea ceremony.
The napes of maiko are traditionally accented with a design in white makeup.
A maiko pays a New Year visit to a teahouse or o-chaya.
A bedecked maiko busies herself serving ceremonial tea at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto during the plum blossom festival.
