Stone Arrangement in the Japanese Garden

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Sakuteiki

This book is considered tohave been written (orcompiled) by Tachibana noToshitsuna.The Sakuteiki describes theconstruction of gardens in theshinden­zukuri style. Someprinciples published in it are:5 types of gardens laid outnext to water8 types of islands9 basic types of waterfallsPractical advicePossible forms of gardenstreamsDifferent forms of stonearrangements

Explanation

Arrangement of stones is one of the most important elements when creatinga Japanese Garden.In the oldest preserved manual of Japanese gardening, garden making wascalled "ishi wo taten koto" - erecting stones.The oldest manual on gardening is called “Sakuteiki” and was published inthe Heian period. It contains a great variety of do’s and don’ts for stonearrangement. In modern times we are not as strict, but the same basic rulesare used.

Selecting stonesWhen we choose stones for a garden, wewant interesting and esthetically pleasingstones in a variety of shapes. Ideally, oneshould go to a quarry and arrange theavailable stones in the same layout they willbe in the garden in order to see which stonesare most suitable for the chosen design. Thishas been a method practiced from the Heianperiod and continues today.