Thank you Inda and welcome back.
I hope that you had a wonderful time in Europe.
Love,
yoko
Japanese gardens are very important to the Japanese. All of the gardens are representations of nature. The purpose of these gardens in to capture nature is the utmost natural way, and do it with a touch of artistic feeling. The Japanese gardens, for the Japanese people, have an ancient history influenced by Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. These philosphies are used in the creation of the Japanese Gardens so as to bring a spiritual sense to the gardens. The Buddhist influence makes the garden a quiet place, allowing people to look back and reflect upon themselves, or meditate.
The essential elements to a Japanese garden--water, garden plants, stones, waterfalls, trees, and bridges--create this symbolism.