Sacred islands and ponds

The gardens built during the Asuka. Nara and Heian eras clearly reflect the first great wave of Chinese influ ence to reach Japanese culture. The scenery of the ear liest Japanese garden prototype is dominated by islands and ponds. As such it quite literally illustrates the Smo-Japanese word for "landscape", san-sui. or "moun tain-water" At the same time it reflects the ancient Chinese dual pnnciple of Yin and Yang, in terms of gar dening. The Heian garden is large in scale; it is more a seascape than a landscape garden designed to be en joyed by boating The later gardens of the Heian period are usually sited within the rectangular framework of the Shmden-style architecture of early Heian palaces and temples of Pure Land Buddhism. Such gardens were generally designed by their noble owners them selves as a setting for courtly festivities, whereby the elements of the garden sought to imitate the external forms of nature.