{"id":1926,"date":"2016-01-19T14:56:37","date_gmt":"2016-01-19T07:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/zen-and-the-art-of-landscape-gardening\/"},"modified":"2016-01-19T14:59:53","modified_gmt":"2016-01-19T07:59:53","slug":"zen-and-the-art-of-landscape-gardening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/zen-and-the-art-of-landscape-gardening\/","title":{"rendered":"Zen and the art of landscape gardening"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nOne of the world\u2019s foremost garden designers, Shunmyo Masuno explains how his work is intertwined with his own spiritual journey
\nImage by Chester Ong
\nAs anyone who has been there will be aware, the city of Kyoto is replete with inspirational scenes.
\nJapan\u2019s former capital and its spiritual centre is the country\u2019s traditional persona writ large. Beautiful temples meditate peacefully in leafy glades and by tranquil lakes while in historic enclaves such as Gion it is still possible to observe immaculately presented geisha scurrying between secret liaisons.
\nFor Shunmyo Masuno, it was another famous Kyoto signature \u2013 its sublime temple gardens \u2013 that set him on the path to becoming one of the world\u2019s most sought-after landscape architects.
\n\u201cMy family visited Kyoto when I was in elementary school,\u201d recalls Masuno, who rounds out his design work with duties as head priest at Kenko-ji temple in Yokohama and professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo. \u201cI was blown away by the beauty of the stone garden in Ryo-anji temple and the dry landscape garden in Daisen-in temple. It was the first time in my life I had seen such beauty and I was totally captivated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time I wondered why Kenko-ji temple, where I was born and grew up in, had no beautiful gardens. How could the Zen temples in Kyoto have such stupendous landscape gardens? I experienced a kind of cultural shock.\u201d
\nSpellbound by the ancient tenets of Zen landscaping \u2013 an expression of thoughts through gardens, rocks and trees \u2013 the young Masuno became obsessed with sketching out his design ideas at high school. His first project was the realisation of the dream that had been nurtured on that formative family trip to Kyoto. Working with an elder mentor, garden designer Katsuo Saito, he set about reimagining the garden at Kenko-ji where his father was the head priest.
\nThat informal apprenticeship was bolstered by a university education in the natural environment as well as Zen training from his father. After completing his studies he founded his company Japan Landscape Consultants and took on the role as assistant priest at Kenko-ji.
\nCombining the roles of company director, master designer, professor and Zen priest may sound like a heavy burden to take on. Masuno, however, credits his Zen schooling for a methodical yet meditative approach to life and creativity.
\n\u201cIn Zen,\u00a0zazen, or meditative discipline, plays a central role,\u201d he explains. \u201cZen is the state where one finds his\/her original self and its ultimate goal is to calm the soul and experience the truths and reasons that prevail in the world. Buddha lies in the heart, which gives us all the more reason to practice discipline through\u00a0zazen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Masuno\u2019s dedication to his work has helped him become arguably Japan\u2019s foremost garden designer \u2013 no mean feat in a nation that is known for its advanced aesthetic sensibilities.
\nHe has over 50 gardens to his name, his work instilling a sense of Zen calm and beauty at residential, commercial and municipal projects at home in Japan and overseas. Big name commissions include gardens at the One Kowloon office building in Hong Kong, the Canadian Museum of Civilisation in Ottawa and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
\nAlthough his services are constantly in demand, nobody could call Masuno prolific. He insists on hands-on involvement in all his projects, and makes every effort to keep his lofty reputation burnished. To that end he only takes on two or three projects per year.
\nThe process of building a garden can also be painstaking. Masuno and his team go to great lengths to find exactly the right materials for every project. For the garden at One Kowloon, for instance, he travelled to the southern island of Shikoku in Japan to choose the diamond-granite boulders he wanted from Gokenzan Mountain. It is little wonder then that his projects generally take around three years from conception to completion.
\nImage by Taku Imai
\n\u201cJapanese gardens must express the underlying spirit that prevails in any given space,\u201d he explains. \u201cOne does not design concepts like wabi (the avocation of enjoyment of a quiet life) or sabi (the connotation of melancholy) out of nothing. Careful consideration is given to the existing landscape and trees and also to how adding materials will impact this balance.\u201d
\nAlthough he has achieved huge success in his career and is one of the world\u2019s most bankable garden designers, Masuno remains something of an ascetic. When he is not travelling the world to oversee his projects or lecturing he can generally be found at home at Kenko-ji where he begins his daily routine by opening the temple doors at 4.30am. He meditates, chants scriptures and cleans his living environment before settling down to his design duties for the rest of the day. After eating dinner with his family he goes to bed every night without fail at 11pm. It is this discipline, he says, that helps inform his calming design creations.
\n\u201cI cannot be a landscape designer without being a resident priest at the same time and vice versa,\u201d he says. \u201cDesigning gardens, to me, is a means of engaging in a Zen task and I regard my work as a part of my spiritual training. In Japan we believe that there is a spirit in each stone and plant. This is a belief based on Buddhist teachings. How can I bring out the spirit that lies within? I am always questioning how I want the viewers to feel when they gaze over one of my gardens.
\n\u201cI express Zen principles in my garden spaces. That is why I am indivisibly a Zen priest and a landscape designer.\u201d
\nNow check out: 8 of the most sensational gardens in Thailand
\n
\nSource : property-report.com
\nRead more…Zen and the art of landscape gardening<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the world\u2019s foremost garden designers, Shunmyo Masuno explains how his work is intertwined...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1927,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Now-and-Zen_1_Chester-Ong.png?fit=740%2C393&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-v4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":102116,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/the-builders-thought-we-were-mad-a-victorian-terrace-revamped\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":0},"title":"\u2018The builders thought we were mad\u2019: a Victorian terrace revamped","date":"December 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r How two young designers, inspired by their travels, transformed a neglected houseWhen Magnus Pettersen and Ella Jones visited Japan in September 2017, they were obsessed with the sliding paper walls and wooden partitions they saw everywhere, from Tokyo to Kyoto. These traditional panels have formed the basis of their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":154350,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/appealing-offer-japan-offers-to-assist-us-shipbuilding-amid-tariff-concerns\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":1},"title":"Appealing offer? Japan offers to assist US shipbuilding amid tariff concerns","date":"May 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Japan has offered to support US efforts to rebuild its civilian and military shipbuilding industries \u2013 a strategic gesture analysts say could help counter China\u2019s growing dominance in the sector and ease the impact of looming American tariffs on Japanese imports. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Japan\u2019s desire to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":154386,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/man-in-japan-arrested-for-forcing-store-clerk-to-shave-head-in-apology\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":2},"title":"Man in Japan arrested for forcing store clerk to shave head in apology","date":"May 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\r A man in Kyoto has been arrested for allegedly forcing an electronics store employee into shaving his head in a dramatic act of apology \u2013 an incident that has cast fresh light on Japan\u2019s deep-rooted customer-is-always-right culture and the country\u2019s recent move to curb abuse against service workers. Police\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68284,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/the-new-boiler-thats-causing-a-heated-row\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":3},"title":"The new boiler that's causing a heated row","date":"April 2, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"\r From yesterday, new rules mean that if your old gas boiler needs replacing you must install the modern condenser style. The government insists the move is environmentally-friendly, but some homeowners are unhappy with this. Phillip Inman reportsIt's the government's latest plan to save the environment. From this weekend, every\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45756,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/green-buildings-grow-in-appeal\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":4},"title":"Green buildings grow in appeal","date":"February 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Tokyo \/\/ Visitors and passers-by at Kyocera Corporation's plant in the city of Okaya, in Japan's Nagano Prefecture, marvel at the luscious greenery enshrouding the building.But they would be mistaken in assuming it is merely a decorative addition. In fact, the plants are \"green curtains\" used to cover a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14238,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/telegraph-garden-wins-top-prize-at-chelsea-flower-show\/","url_meta":{"origin":1926,"position":5},"title":"Telegraph garden wins top prize at Chelsea flower show","date":"May 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Andy Sturgeon\u2019s depiction of landscape moulded by geological events is declared best show garden at horticultural eventSources of inspiration ranged from algorithms to ancient oaks for designers taking coveted gold medals at the Chelsea flower show.But it was Andy Sturgeon\u2019s dramatic depiction of a landscape moulded over millions of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}