Phil234, your post may be more than it appears! A few evenings when I was hacking on the trees in the nursery behind my teacher's house, he would say,

"don-san, ike mashoka?" (Was it, " Don, are you ready to go?", or "Don, are you ready to quit hacking my trees?" I don't want to know)

Anyway, I was always "Ready" to see what he had in store.

Out the gate, up the hill, what do I see but a post on the left about 2 m tall with something like "avenue of world peace" in 4 different languages, one on each side? I photographed it and filed the vision in my mental "Japan anomalies" file. Then, as usual, was overwhelmed by what I saw further up the path.

Thanks for the vision! Can you post a photo?

http://www.pivot.net/~proberts/index.html
I changed my page to the Orono Garden Images numbered CPIC 7,9,and 22 are the peace pose and the statue

Perhaps every garden should have a like Post :)

You can see some strange things in Japan, but giant angel statues aren't one of them. I think JOJG's stance was about right.

I think the intent of these ideas are noble, but they lack the tactfulness that reflects the style of the Japanese garden. Giant bronze angles watching over the garden may be intended to give the viewer a feeling of security and connection with spirituality, but is there a more subtle and universal way to give the same impression...perhaps metaphorically. The post is there to voice the intent of world peace, but isnt the garden itself a tool for creating peace? By creating peace in your life you will contribute to world peace, the pole is a bit redundant. And the bronze children were probably intended to create a happy, playful atmosphere in the garden. This intent can certainly be integrated into a Japanese garden, but maybe it can be done in a more subtle way, perhaps through the relationship and interaction of plants and elements within the garden. These ornaments are an instant and easy, but superficial way to create a garden atmosphere, like many of the Japanese ornaments which are overly or improperly used. What is needed is some serious meditative thought on how to creatively manifest your intent in the garden, while abiding to the parameters of the style. The designers touch should be a subtle voice in the garden, which can only be heard when the mind has quieted down.

-christian

The similar post I saw in Kyoto was not in a garden. It was on the lane just outside the Bamboo Temple garden.

The angel statues are perhaps notable works of art in themselves, but in that setting, they look (to me) entirely out of place.

Various countries have parks that include sculptures. I think that the Anderson angels would be better placed in a park of that sort.