Heesung Kim
...... _ - ·--- I N THE 1\ANKS ol th~ Katsura rapital. At that time, the tea but the pavilions and gardens create a River, south-west of Kyoto, is ceremony had become an important diversity of impressions which together 0 a cluster of huildin~~ in a ritual in Japan, in which one partook give a rich effect. Each pavilion, garden ~etting considered to be one of of tea and appreciated the aesthetic with its unique character, is placed the finest examples of Japanesf" qualities or arti~tic merits of various around the pond and connecting paths architf"rture. lt was built in the early object~ of di~cusslon. The tea of the garden in whk:h various phases seventeenth century as a retreat for cNemony it~~lf originated in China of landscape are developed on a Prince Toshito, the younger brother of and was brought with the Zen miniature scale with changing views the Emperor as a collection of f\uddhists, but ev<'ntually it developed and surface textures: hills., rivers, residentia l quarters, tea hou~es, and a into a social ritual with tea houses fields, inlets, and beaches. lllere is temple amidst a man-made desi~ned solely for that purpose. diversity in the architecture and environment of hills and ponds ArdutN"turally, the austere soan style landscaping but the two are integrated covering almost fourteen acres. of the tea hou~es was incorporated - every detail down to the last Into the residential shoin style to ~tepping-stone was carefully chosen Pnnce Toshito, whose poetic genius dE-velop the suklya rukuri, or teah<>use and placed in its pr~r position. Tile and ae~thetic sensibility are well stylt-. 1t wn~ rharactcri;r:ed by flexible garden is considered to be the first documented, is believed to have room arran~cmcnts and natural stroll style executed in Japan, a ~upervist>d the construct ion until his material., ~uch .1~ clay walls and culmination of the styles and dt>ath in 1629. The second stage was bark-covt'red posts and tx-ams, .1nd was techniques of previous gardens. begun In 1642 by his son, Prin<-e .1doptcd from lhf" srventt-enth rcntury Noritada, nn '·' ' IlL Shotn Complex second gate, Miyuki-mon (Imperial number of people in an informal has no ceiling except for the Gate), was a later addition, erected gathering. The Middle Shoin is more ichi-no-ma, or first room, in the about 1633 for the visit of the retired ornamented, and is thought to have tradition of farmhouses, with the Empet" 26 THE FIFTH COLUMN, Spring 1982 Shok'in-tei The stone bridge is a single slab of the large island on which the nobility of that period, using natural granite twenty feet long supported by Shoka-tei and Enrin-do are located. materials and great care in four cornf'r-stones. This leads to the The Shoka-tei is at the top, a small composition. Designed to accomodate Shokin-tei, the principal structure in tea pavilion with views to the gardens the genteel past-times of the court, the garden. The exterior is in the of the villa and the mountains in the much of which was associated with style of a minka, the rustic houses of distance. lt is modelled after a the contemplation of some aspect of the common people, with deep countryside rest-booth and was nature, the pavilions and gardens are overhang~ on the thatched roof over intended for visitors during garden harmonious and complem!!ntary. thf' enrthen covered service area in tours. The Enrin-do is a small Unlike most palatial architecture in t he front. The interior on the other Buddhist temple, first dedicated to the Japan and throughout the Orient, it hand, ha~ the decorum of the classic soul of Prince Toshito by his son. lt has a be