Since the word "deer" is included in your title, here is a list of deer resistants plants for zone 8: http://www.sabot.org/gguide/deer.htm

Here is a list of plants currently being tried for Japanese style landscaping in hot zone 8 of South Texas (not all are deer resistant): http://www.botanysaurus.com/jg/jgplants.html

Thanks, I liked the Texas Japanese list. We're zone 7, but the summers are a bit hotter here than in much of the rest of zone 7, hence the Heat Zone 8. Many of the plants on teh Texas list are ok for us. Conifers are a problem.

OK, how about these?

Thujopsis dolabrata and Sciadopitys verticillata for smallish choices,

and

Cunnighamia lanceolata, Cedrus deodara, Larix kaempferi, Abies firma, and Metasequoia glyptostroboides for trees. I also would consider a pine of some type. One possibility is the native Pinus glabra. It grows fast and may be a bit iffy in the cold hardy department, but its a beauty and can be easily maintained.

For a true Japanese effect I would also plant some sort of fruit tree. Ume (Prunus mume) would be a good choice or perhaps the Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata). Neither are truly long lived but they put on a hell of a show in early spring.

Is this going to be a plant and go garden or is it going to be maintained closely? In my experience here in Japan, every garden gets a yearly pruning, and closely kept ones get it twice a year. PF

I hope it will be maintained. I'm a designer, and the clients are very enthusiastic new gardeners. I'm not sure they realize the full extent of the maintenance required for the botanical gardens they want. The Japanese area is but one small part of an acre lot.

I'm not going with raked gravel!

Thanks for the suggestions. I love Cunninghamia, and had forgotten about the Sciadopitys. Thujopsis I'll have to look up.