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| Page Views: 1,993 | Nitobe Memorial Garden by spitball - last update: Aug 28, 2007 |
A Little Taste of Japan in Vancouver | Mother Lantern on Turtle Island |
On the University of British Columbia campus, sits Nitobe Memorial Japanese Garden. A unique garden created to enshrine the spirit of Japanese scholar, educator, diplomat and writer Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933)
Professor Nitobe's personal goal was "to become a bridge across the Pacific", and he was returning from a peace conference in Banff, Alberta, when he died in Victoria, B.C.
In his memory, his friends commissioned a lantern which was brought from Japan and placed on the campus of the fledgling University of British Columbia.
Gradually, the idea of a Japanese garden for the young campus took root, and its realization fell to UBC president Dr. Norman MacKenzie, who had worked with Professor Nitobe at the League of Nations.
Dr. MacKenzie decided to name the garden in his friend's honour, and the task of creating it was entrusted to Professor Kanosuke Mori, who was chosen as its designer on the express recommendation of the Japanese government.
Having completed his design, Professor Mori supervised its construction, personally directing the placement of every rock and shrub until the formal opening ceremony in 1960.
He used many native species, training and pruning them in typical Japanese style: for the rest, he brought Japanese Maples, Flowering Cherries, Azaleas and Iris from Japan.
In Japan today, there are many memorials to Professor Nitobe, including his portrait on the 5,000 - yen note.
Morioka, the city where he was born, is twinned with Victoria, the city where he drew his final breath. And here in Vancouver, and exquisite garden quietly continues to realize his dream of draweing both sides of the Pacific closer together |
| The main Nitobe pond empty of water |
|  | THE NITOBE GARDEN The Nitobe Garden consists of a large, informal stroll garden which commences at the entrance gate, and a tea garden with a ceremonial tea house. The Garden reflects an idealized conception of nature with its harmony among natural forms - waterfalls, rivers, forests, islands and seas - and its balance between the masculine and feminine forces traditionally attributed to the natural elements.
The tea garden has a stepping-stone path leading to a shelter, where guests wait to be called to the tea ceremony.
The path then leads them past a hand basin used for symbolic cleansing before they humbly enter the tea house. Here, house and garden together symbolize the spirit of the tea ceremony, a beautiful practice of peaceful contemplation and pleasant associations.
The aesthetically fine arrangement of stones in the tea garden contributes to a sense of repose and meditation.
The overall purpose of this authentic, traditional garden is to refresh the spirit and to provide a sense of peace and harmony with nature and one's fellow creatures.
As a work of art, it can create illusions of change in space and time, or provide lessons in aesthetics, morals and the human journey, deepening the viewer's understanding of life.
Renovation and enhancement of the Nitobe Garden began in 1992. In order to restore balance and symmetry in the stroll garden and around the tea house, extensive pruning was done and some plant material was replaced.
The configuration of stones around the perimeter of the pond was restored to traditional groupings and enhanced by the addition of a pebble beach.
The hedge surrounding the garden was replaced by a traditional wall and fencing to help preserve tranquillity and improve security.
Japanese landscape architect Toshiaki Masuno was retained by UBC to plan and oversee this work. He was assisted by an 18th generation garden builder, Shinichi Sano, and a small team of skilled gardeners from Kyoto, Japan.
Renovations to the tea house were made by artisans sent from Japan by Soshitsu Sen XV of the Urasenke School of Tea.
Further renovations will include a new gatehouse, with washrooms and an interpretation centre. |
THE STROLL GARDEN The Nitobe Garden was created out of two-and-a-half acres of virgin forest.
It was designed and constructed according to ancient Japanese custom, dating back to the eleventh-century book Sakuteiki by Toshitsuna Tachibana, which describes the art of choosing, laying and arranging rocks.
Japanese gardens are designed to refresh the spirit and to teach the viewer about life, and Professor Mori, the original designer, incorporated many beautiful mature native conifers into his design, which suggest the constancy and endurance of nature.
A garden is one of the most direct expressions of human attitude toward the universe and our living environment.
Until, most formal western gardens have been based on the attitude that this world is one of sin and imperfection from which a return to "paradise" is desired, or upon which an ideal order must be imposed.
These are, by and large, either idyllic escapes or geometric "improvements", often highly symbolic of some heavenly or romantic vision.
In Japanese culture, the attitude implicit in formal garden design is quite different. Through a mingling of Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion, and Buddhism, particularily Zen (meditation), the Japanese have developed an attitude which sees the individual as one who is united witht the whole world.
The individual is neither so oppressed by it as to wish to escape, nor so all-powerful as to control it by force of will.
As expressions of this attitude, Japanese gardens show the touch of human hands that accept and understand, and are harmoniously involved in the natural environment.
The design of the Nitobe Garden suggests a span of time - a day, a week or a lifetime - with its beginning, its choice of paths and its ending.
We start with birth in winter, childhood and teenage years in spring, marriage in summer and old age in autumn.
We think Professor Mori chose this universal theme so that it could be understood by all, regardless of race or religion. | | |
| Installation of "Father Lantern" |
| | THE FOREST PATH On entering the garden through the tsujibi, the traditional wall, one turns to the right.
Unlike many Japanese gardens, the Nitobe Garden is based on a counter-clockwise design.
According to some garden theorists, the path of this stroll garden follows the way of the moon, rather than the sun, because this is a memorial garden.
The path leads past Western Red Cedars (Thuja plicata), Western Hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylia) and Vine Maples (Acer circinatum).
Native plants form the basis here: the moss and tall trees project a sense of calm and softness.
This part of the garden is soft, dark and feminine. Low, flat, rounded rocks suggest the beginning of time - a sunless world pre-dating history.
Out of this gentle landscape, a bold, upright rock on the left-an "alarm rock" - alerts the attention and signals that something of importance lies close ahead.
At this point, the Nitobe or Father Lantern appears through the trees.
THE NITOBE LANTERN - Stone lanterns are among the most important features in Japanese gardens. Whether lighted or not, they symbolize light dispelling darkness.
You will notice that they are placed at the junction of two or more paths, indicating choices in life.
This one is dedicated to Dr. Nitobe, and was presented in his memory by the Japan Society of Canada.
It is one of the kasuga type of lanterns, and in simple Japanese fashion is inscribed with only two words - "Inazo Nitobe". It is a circumambulatory lantern: for the Japanese, walking around it is like saying a prayer.
At the base of the pedestal is the lotus blossom, the flower of Paradise-a symbol of purity in the Far East.
On one side of the lantern is a sculpture of a lotus blossom; on the other, a guard dog.
Encircling it are the signs of the zodiac, whch give cosmic significance to this huge lantern.
Around the base, native Salal (Gaultheria shallon) and Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) have been planted.
On the bench opposite, there is room for five people-the host and four guests - the traditional number for a Japanese party.
Each one sees a slightly different view of the garden, and philosophical discussions often form part of a stroll around the garden. |
THE MOUNTAIN PATH Leaving the Nitobe lantern behind as you start to climb hte mountain path, you will notice a beautiful rock on the right side.
Every year on October 15th, the day of Dr. Nitobe's death, the sun (if it is not obscured by cloud) shines through the lantern at four in the afternoon, striking the cleft in the rock.
Details such as this suggest the degree of thought and planning which went into the garden.
As in all Japanese gardens, no detail is just for show: everything has a philosophical meaning that is not always apparent to Western thought.
Beside the path are sturdy bamboo railings - always on the right in a Japanese garden. Behind them are Common Cherry Laurels (Prunus laurocerasus) and a cultivar of the Russian Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ev. zabeliana).
On the left grow the Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) and Drooping Leucathoe (Leucathoe fontanesiana), with graceful arching branches and laurel-like leaves.
At the top of the path on the right is the Winged Spindletree (Euonymus alatus) and Bamboo.
From here, the path descends in rough stone steps.
Take care, because the second step slopes down and could cause a fall.
This reminds us that it represents a dangerous mountain path, and is a good illustration of the illusion of space.
Approaching the stream, you see not a bridge, buyt 16 large stones, with two "stepping-aside" stones.
As you reach the centre of the stream, it is possible to see the waterfall.
Waterfalls are so admired in Japan that people make annual pilgrimages to them. They are a part of nearly every Japanese garden and are generally constructed so that they appear to fall away from a valley between two mountains, with a background of dense forest.
The arrangement must always convey the idea that there is a stream in the valley by which the waterfall is fed.
There must be a basin of rocks into which the water can plunge, and whenever possible, the cascade is located so that the beauty of sunshine and moonbeams upon it may also be appreciated.
The Japanese name for waterfall is taki-ishi-gimi, which translates as "stone pathway for falling water".
The water should fall like the coils of a dragon's lashing tail.
The magnificent red stone over which the water tumbles here was brought from the Harrison Lake area.
Crossing the stream, you will see two Phyllreas (Phyllrea decora) on the bank. Climbing the slope to your left is a Skimmia japonica, and to the right a Lily of the Valley bush (Pieris japonica).
In the stream on the left is a small modern lantern, a gift from the people of Morioka, Dr. Nitobe's native city.
This mountain path represents the perils of infancy. Red, pinted rocks, rushing water and the general feeling of danger point to the struggle for life.
Large rocks at the crest of the path denote the end of the crisis.
From her on, the path slopes easily downward into orderly childhood. | | |
| Nitobe Gate and Gate House |
| | THE ALTERNATE LOWER PATH Upon leaving the Nitobe lantern, instead of taking the Mountain Path, you may choose the path to the left, which leads to a stone bridge.
Standing on it, you will see the waterfall has lost most of its force.
Here the water flows gently toward the lake between Sword Ferns (Polystichum munitum), Lady Ferns (Athyrium filix-femina), Deer Ferns (Blechnum spicant) and mosses.
On either side of the path, you can see Huckleberry bushes (Vaccinium parvifolium), Lily of the Valley bushes (Pieris japonica) and Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa).
This path represents normal, healthy infancy. There are no railings, and the 33 steps of the path symbolize the 33 days which must pass before a Japanese baby is recognized as having been born.
By contrast, the 66 steps in the Mountain Path symbolize the difficulties sometimes experienced in infancy.
Aspects of the Shinto religion, in which mountains, rocks, water, trees and other objects are regarded as either masculine or feminine, are beautifully illustrated here by the calm, feminine water of the lake and the rushing, male waterfall.
The Salal (Gaultheria shalon) in this area is regularly mowed, resulting in much smaller leaves than normal.
At the point where the two paths meet is a patch of hair-cap moss (Polytrichum juniperum), just one of the many kinds of mosses in the garden. |
THE PATH ALONG THE LAKE The two paths meet and continue along the side of the lake. Here, the heart of the garden - the lake - is fully visible. Niwa is the Japanese word for garden, meaning a pure place, and water is the purifying agent.
This part of the garden is more open, and from the bench we see the Mother Lantern - yukimi doro, or snow lantern.
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) lean over the path. Further on are Japanese Flowering Cherries (Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan') and another Winged Spindletree, with its square stem and winged bark.
Behind the bench are small, elegant hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylla), pruned in the Tokyo fashion. Pruning has kept these trees oppen and delicate, showing the trunk and the pattern of the branches.
In the lake are Koi, or Japanese carp. Some were a gift from the Imperial Palace in Tokyou, and initially, the lake was stocked with 10,000 goldfish.
However, they proved tasty snacks for local herons and within a few years, they had all but disappeared.
Later, a few black carp from the Fraser River were added. After the recent renovations, a gift of new koi was received from the Montreal Botanic Garden in Quebec.
In Japanese culture, the fish is the boy's sign, symbolizing virtue, great strength, good health and long life - qualities that parents desire for their sons and daughters.
Curving along the water's edge is a sui hama, or pebble beach, and its stark, white gravel enhances the graceful line of the lake's edge. (work on this beach is ongoing as many of the stones fell to the bottom of the lake)
Around the rest of the lakefront are sensitively placed rocks in varying shapes, sizes and combinations.
THE EARTH BRIDGE AND THE SEVEN-STOREYED PAGODA
Further along the path,beside the lake, is a stone plaque just before the bridge. The calligraphy on it expresses Dr. Nitobe's lifelong wish to serve as a bridge across the Pacific Ocean.
The beautifully curved, traditional earth bridge is made of 77 logs, filled in with earth and topped with gravel.
Looking to the northeast across the lake, there is a long view of the garden toward the island - the waterfall and the mountain in one direction and the lake, extending toward the zig-zag bridge and the Iris garden - in the other.
Continuing along the lakeside path, you see the Seven-Storey Pagoda.
This adds an exotic beauty to the garden, and is thought to aid in peaceful meditation on worldly things.
The picture of the Buddha carved at the base of the pagoda suggests the beginning of one's search for the meaning of life. It reminds us of an important Japanese festival called Tanabata, the festival of the weaver, which is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month.
On this day, the Herd Boy (Vega, marked by seven stars) crosses the Silver Celestial River (the Milky Way) to visit the Spinning Maiden (Altair, marked by five stars).
And on this one evening of the year, stepping stones appear in the Silver Celestial River, allowing him to cross over and see his love.
In the smaller lake ahead can be seen a small Snow lantern of the yukimi doro type - a miniature of the one on the island. It represents a change in the concept of woman from the receding "Mother" lantern to the nearer and smaller "Young Maiden" lantern.
Like all the ornaments in the garden, these lanterns appear to be part of the natural unfolding of the garden's design: they are never placed simply for the sake of decoration.
| | |
| | FAMILY VIEWING PAVILION Further along the path is another bridge, under which is a turncock which regulates the flow of water into the Iris bed.
This eleven-plank plank bridge may be considered to represent early, or teenage, marriage.
Opposite it is the new Nitobe family-crest lantern, in shizen (or yama) doro style. It was given to the garden in 1985 by the people of Morioka.
Made of local stone from Dr. Nitobe's birthplace, it bears the moon and single star of the old and honourable Nitobe crest.
Masujiro Fujimura, a gardener who knew Dr. Nitobe, came from Morioka at the age of 85 to put it in place. These gifts from Japan are intended to ensure that Dr. Nitobe's spirit of peace remains for all time.
THE PLAYBOY LANTERN
The Playboy Lantern stands at another junction of two paths. The path over the Iris bed symbolizes marriage; the other, leading to a dead end, represents teenage rebellion and the break from family life.
The view from the bench at the end of the dead-end path is a jumble, unlike the beautiful and varied views from every other bench.
However, once you stand up, the way becomes clear to retrace your steps.
With the help of the railings (not seen since early childhood paths), the path leads to the way of parents, into tradition and responsibility.
This is a strange and wild corner of the garden. Red is the colour of danger, and the plantings here reflect this - the Flowering Crabapple (Malus sp), Bitter Cherry (prunus emarginata) with its red-tinged bark and white flowers followed by red berries, and Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum).
THE ZIG-ZAG BRIDGE
Passing by the thorny Eleagnus pungens with its siver-backed leaves, you reach the zig-zag bridge which crosses the Japanese Iris bed. These Irises were a gift from the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
When they bloom every July, the beds are flooded, giving the illusion that they are growing on water. Growing in the stream is Pond Water Starwort (Callitriche stagnalis) and on the far bank is a Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) with dainty, heart-shaped leaves that turn a delicate, smokey shade of pink in the fall. The yatsu-hashi or zig-zag bridge is a commemorative reconstruction of a bridge over an Iris bed in the town of Yatsu-hashi in Japan, and it is also a viewing platform from which one can admire the flowers at close range.
Bridges in Japanese gardens imply change, leading one forward to new experiences. In both Chinese and Japanese lore, this type of bridge is said to be "devil-losing" because the devil is thought to be able to move only in straight lines, and here two opportunities are presented to sidestep him before proceeding to adult responsibilities. At this point, spiritual growth replaces physical growth.Leaving the Iris bed, you enter another forest-like area. Past the gardeners' workshop area, you will find the marriage lantern. At the base are stylized lotus petals, and on top of the plinth, the signs of the zodiac have been sculpted. Only here and on the Nitobe lantern are they found. Around the lantern is a ground cover of two-leafed False Lily of the Valley (Maianthemum dilatatum) and moss. This lantern represents marriage, and the clearing in front enables us to look forward and backward in time, and to think carefully before taking this important step. From here, you follow the path to the family viewing pavilion. It was constructed in Japan from the wood of the hinoki, or Japanese Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) |
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 Comments for spitball about World | | | | |
Yaqui Thu Aug 14, 2008 19:51 UTC
{{{{Happy Belated Birthday Randall!!}}} I hope you have many more wonderful days ahead of you! Happy Trails! | ricky52 Wed Aug 13, 2008 22:00 UTC
Happy birthday Randall. Have a great day. | YVRDave Wed Aug 13, 2008 15:33 UTC
Happy Birthday Rand. See you tomorrow | JLBG Wed Aug 13, 2008 13:28 UTC
Happy birthday from France ! |
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