I read a few lifestyle blogs that are devoted to home and garden styling, and I often encounter the notions of foreign people who have never been to Japan and what they think it's going to be like here. Most of them think it's all temple gates and immaculate gardens, not to mention minimalist living. The truth is that most people in cities use as much of their property as possible to build the biggest house, create parking spaces, and laundry hanging areas. In the city, gardens are somewhat uncommon. Well-tended and stylishly decorated gardens in particular are rare. It's far more usual to see a jungle of potted plants than to see a well-appointed plot of foliage. I also see more garden gnomes and Disney characters in little plots of nature than traditional Japanese lawn ornamentation.
When I chance upon a lovely little bit of nature which is tastefully decorated with Japanese lawn ornaments, it gives me a sense of that zen peacefulness many people believe abounds, and I'll miss that.
Posts
