SheSue Experience

If you need a break from the craziness, the Japanese Gardens is just the place to go. Located high in the West hills on over 5 acres, you will find 5 separate garden styles. There is also an authentic Japanese tea house where they offer demonstrations of tea parties; spectacular views, meandering streams, a pavilion where they have events and exhibitions and of course, the gift store.

I went with my sister. We took the guided tour. My sister has recently been to Japan and was impressed at how like Japan the gardens were. In fact, His Excellency Nobuo Matsunago, the former Ambassador of Japan to the Unites States said of the gardens, “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan.”

The tour started with the pavilion where we attended the Iris Folding demonstration at a different time. The building has shoji (translucent paper panels) and verandas that denote the integration of house and garden. The Flat Garden is intricately raked sand with 2 island that are supposed to represent a sake cup and a gourd bottle. This signifies pleasure and a wish for your happiness.

The Strolling pond garden is just like it sounds. 2 ponds separated by a Moon Bridge. The lower pond has statues of a tortoise and a crane which are symbols of longevity. The design of this garden told of the wealth of the owner.

The Tea Garden surrounds the tea house. There are actually 2 gardens. The inner garden next to the house and the outer garden where guests wait before entering the tea house. The gardens are meant to be simple just as the inside of the tea house. When you enter the house, you are meant to forget all about the material world around you. This way you will focus on the ceremony. The ceremonies are like a ballet, highly choreographed.

After the tea house, along the path, you come to the Zig Zag Bridge which leads through a pond filled with koi. Above the pond you will find Heavenly Falls, one of several falls through out the gardens. Water falls are a metaphor for the life cycle. The top is birth, the falls are your teenage years, the pond is adulthood and the trickle of water leaving the pond represents your senior years.

The other water falls are part of the Natural Garden. This is my favorite garden. You pass by ponds, waterfalls, bridges, trees, shrubs and rock pathways. From early spring to late in the fall, there is always something in bloom in these well tended, yet natural gardens. The last garden is the Sand and Stone Garden. These type of gardens are always found in front of Buddhist temples. They are attended and appreciated for their simplicity.

There are 5 gardens as Buddhists believe this number to be lucky. You will find no symmetry in the gardens. Each garden is designed with many enclosures. This allows you to focus only on the beauty that currently surrounds you. The trees are kept low as a human element. In each garden you will find stones which are considered the bones or structure of the garden. Plants form a seasonal tapestry and water represents life. The simple materials used represent the physical world.

For more information check out the Japanese Gardens website.