Draft:Kyoto Garden, Holland Park

Kyoto Garden
Kyoto Garden in London
Artist	Shoji Nakahara
Year	1991
Location	London, England

The Kyoto Garden is a Japanese garden located within Holland Park in West London. The garden was gifted by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto. It was designed and opened in 1991 by Shoji Nakahara, to celebrate the Japan Festival in London. The garden features traditional Japanese elements to promote a sense of tranquillity and harmony. The garden remains a popular retreat for visitors seeking peace and natural beauty in the city. The garden represents the friendship between Japan and the United Kingdom and it provides a key insight into the beauty of Japanese landscape design as well as a remembrance of historical events.

Description

Spread over a small area, the garden is a representation of Japan's natural beauty and traditional garden craftsmanship. The garden features a variety of authentic elements typical of a Japanese garden. Key to the garden's design is a large, tiered waterfall that flows into a pond filled with koi carp, a fish that is culturally significant in Japan and symbolizes love and friendship. Stone lanterns and a tsukubai, a water basin for visitors to purify themselves, are placed, enhancing the meditative quality of the landscape. Peacocks roam around the garden, a cultural symbol of Buddhist divinity. The garden is surrounded by bamboo fencing. The planting is also typical, with azaleas, camellias, Japanese maples, and cherry blossoms that bring color, alongside evergreen shrubs that maintain the garden's beauty year-round. Paths are placed around the garden as well as a small bridge and memorial building.

History

The Kyoto Garden was officially opened in 1991 as a gift from the city of Kyoto to commemorate the Japan Festival in London in 1992. The park symbolizes friendship and cultural exchange between Japan and the United Kingdom. The Kyoto Gardens opening was a significant event, attended by royalty and dignitaries from both countries, and it has since become a popular spot within the city. It stands as a testament to the beauty of Japanese garden design and the deep bonds of friendship and respect between Japan and the UK.

Significance

The Kyoto Garden in Holland Park was inaugurated in 1991, at a time when geopolitical tensions between Japan and Great Britain were easing, marking a renewed phase of mutual respect and cooperation after the strains of the post World War II era. Margaret Thatcher spearheaded a pro-Japan sentiment in Great Britain during her time as Prime Minister. While being a very divisive figure in the UK, she is very loved among the Japanese community. The garden was created as a symbol of the enduring friendship and peace between the two nations. This gift from Kyoto to London resonates deeply with Japanese cultural traditions of gift-giving, which hold significant value in diplomacy and are seen as gestures of goodwill and respect. The opening of the Fukushima Memorial Garden in 2012 further emphasized this tradition of gift giving. Following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the United Kingdom was aided Japan, and the memorial garden was established in gratitude for this support.

Comparison to traditional Japanese gardens

The Kyoto Garden has many similarities to traditional Japanese gardens; however, built primarily for walkers and in the heart of London, there are certainly a number of differences between the two. Both the Kyoto Garden and traditional Japanese gardens emphasize harmony, tranquility, and natural beauty. Similar to most Japanese gardens, the Kyoto Garden features key elements like water, stones, and carefully selected plants, which promotes spiritual peace. However, the Kyoto Garden is designed for greater public interaction and accessibility, with clear paths allowing visitors to explore its beauty closely. On the other hand, traditional Japanese gardens are often private gardens in Japan, which are typically viewed from specific perspectives. Typical to most Japanese Gardens, the planting at the Kyoto Garden is designed to remain alive all year long. However, many traditional Japanese plants would not survive year round in the harsher London climate, so various atypical shrubs are used to maintain its beauty all year long in addition to many typical Japanese plants. This garden, though compact and pronounced in its features such as the central waterfall and koi pond, maintains the aesthetic and general sentiment of traditional Japanese gardens, yet is adapted to withstand the London climate and high visitation rates, making it a unique destination in the heart of a large, popular city.