Japanese garden design

Ornaments

Ornaments such as stone lanterns and waters basins are probably the most iconographic elements in Japanese gardens. This is unfortunate, because creating a successful Japanese garden involves so much more than scattering a few ornaments about. In fact, some of Japan's top gardens do not have any ornaments at all.

Ornament-related can generally be grouped into the following three categories:

STONE LANTERNS , In Japan, stone lanterns are not actually used as light sources. They are placed in "functional" positions beside garden paths, but contrary to Western belief they are rarely, if ever, lit.

WATER BASINS These ornaments are a simple and inexpensive way to bring the charm of running water into a small garden space. In Japan, water basins are part ornament, part garden sink. Water basins are a very important part of the tea ceremony, but this does not preclude their used in other styles of gardens.

MISCELLANEOUS ORNAMENTS There are broad array of other types of ornaments that are sometimes employed in Japanese gardens. Examples would include pagodas, deer scarers, millstones, traditional signposts, and rain chains.