Although I have not made it far into "Genji" (Seidensticker translation), and it has been a while, I remember a story of etherial movement through the life of a coddled, developing young prince; the world at his feet. I think it is believed written by a female author of the 10th century. Romantic detail is forefront, and seasons, flowers, and their associations in gender and personalities bring these elements into close focus. I think I remember most references to flowers not directly associated with the Japanese style gardens we tend to highlight in this forum, but used to illustrate the seasons (again associated by the author with personalities or periods of the Prince's life), or growing in reserved courtyards, and maybe used to decorate in the "bana" tradition.

However, there have been recent references to color use in Japanese gardens in previous threads. Without rehashing the proper degree of the use of color in "Japanese style gardens", I hope those more studied than I would respond to your excellent question about one of the few ancient resources on the subject.

Sidenote: Anyone seen "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring video?

Have not seen that Don. Of a like theme?

Your take on Genji seems mostly spot-on, but I was suprised that some of the garden descriptions had bluebells or pinks right in the garden, often to the front of it (near verandas or railings). I was very enamored of the detailed discussions on whether spring or fall was the best time in for the garden (one chapter has the ladies of the palace engaged in a debate on that topic). While the time frame is ostensibly in the Heian, these more flowery gardens are something I associated more with the Nara (reed style and such). Just looking for some other thoughts to help me frame this in my mind...

Anyway, a lovely book, if a bit dense in places. And yes, I find Genji to be more than just coddled; he's despicable at times, but then one must consider the period in question and our own mores and try to make some allowances, I suppose.

Thanks for the feedback, sir...

Hi Scott and Don ---

Don, what is the video you mentioned? Can you give a bit more information?

I read the Tale of Genji several years ago (winter reading) and got a lot out of it. Yes, Genji is a scoundrel, and I love the way he keeps getting his feelings hurt when women won't trust him --- then he turns around and ravages them the first chance he gets (including his stepmother, the young wife of the emperor! --- yeeks! --- whom he tragically impregnates!). I was surprised by the spiciness of the book --- unrivaled by any modern soap opera (and in 1000 AD, to boot).

The garden descriptions are fascinating and make Tale of Genji one of the most important reference works on what gardens were like in the Heian period.

Lee

So Lee, would you agree that there seemed to be a more prevalent use of flowers in the gardens then? Obviously we aren't talking temple gardens or the like, and perhaps it only applied to those gardens of the elite (we certainly are looking at an awful thin slice of Japanese society here; even the poor country folk that are derided throughout are the lords and ladies of their provinces, no matter how remote). The use of poetry as the key form of communication (I had no idea) seemed to lean towards the floral motif, no matter what the subject was. Almost as if flowers themselves were the key component to communication. Might offer some insight to the nations deep reverence for gardens; it was/is truly part of their language...

Scott

Scott --- Wybe Kuitert talks about this a bit in his book.

From my understanding, plants in the Heian period were used in gardens pretty much soley for their poetic associations. This included flowers. The floral plantings were still very spare, though, because you don't need much to evoke an association (less is more). The symbolism and the associations among poetry/plants/emotions were very complex. At the Heian Shrine garden in Kyoto you can see samples of the poetry associated with specific plants (on placards in the rear garden), and by all accords it is difficult for the average educated Japanese person to decipher today.

Lee

a few footnotes for musing on:
Genji monogatri is the oldest known novel and written by a woman,.. apparently in the world, it is perhaps the oldest novel -if the Bible is excluded.

further research, which is by no means conclusive is that Fujiwara edited (as previously mentioned) all of Japans poetic forms and it is thought removed poetry phrases/words that had too much to do with things that were not in his taste 'of the time'.
This would indicate that poetry that had too many flowers or referred to phrases including 'grasses of autumn' and other were heavily edited and removed.
Comparatively (perhaps ask Dr, Amasaki when in Japan), not only were early ponds square, but pollen data from Nara gardens had many flowers in them and were more to the taste of our 'family' gardens of today. Not too many flowers to be broken, but still enough surviving and used by children (toys left in gardens) that it would be concluded that there were more flowers (color and from flowering shrubs) than today.
just a thought, as mentioned for musing on...
edzard

Exactly my point for bringing it up, Edzard. Interesting to see what the passage of time and changing tastes do to the garden, especially one that we tend to describe with the word "timeless" ;) While I can wax eloquent on the reasons for preserving old garden styles, time marches on...

Lee thanks for the insight on the Heian shrine garden (how topically appropo!). I would have been lost for much of this book without the copious footnoting; not complaining, but almost as much there as in the text! I can well understand why modern Japanese might have trouble with it; have you ever heard Middle or Olde English? Incomprehensible garble, and Beowulf isn't trying to speak in a code of sorts! Still, most fascinating to get this glimpse into a world cloistered even to the folk of the day, let alone those of us over a millenia later...

Lee & Scott, the movie Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring takes place almost entirely in a floating temple in the middle of a lake. It is a story of the seasons of Earth and the seasons of the lives of the 2 characters. The story is philosophical, interesting, but appreciated for its scenery if nothing else. Interesting symbolism, but that is another forum, eh? I was particularly fond of the sound of the Asian cycadas - a sound I miss.

I still believe the "Genji" focus on flowers should be kept in the perspective of the writer's point of view. They were symbolic and helped deliver the mood and stage for the events and characters. Although I believe blooming things were not a focus in Japanese Gardens of the kind we focus on here, they were and are widely planted elsewhere. Flower gardens are usually separate and provide material for all types of arrangements. One of the occupants of Shugakuin would have the lands below them planted in great swaths of food and flower crops, as he was fascinated by watching the work and progress, never mind the final product! Flowers decorate so much of the culture of Japan. Festivals, both local to a garden, and city-wide as well use(d) flowers abundantly. From tea ceremonies to flower arrangements, flowers are important in their own place, not every place.

Just as the sun mutes the beauty of a late moon, a bright flower, although beautiful, is destracting from the kind of beauty offered by the Japanese garden. (Not well stated, but it says what I wanted to say.)

OK, cicada, not cycad. Sorry.

US: Wee O Wee O Weeeeeeeyea
Japan: Me Me Me Me Me Me Mememeeeee

Yeah, I know; too much information... \ : )

Hello from Oz,

I read the tale of Genji a long time ago in the Seidensticker version. About the plants of those times, I believe asagao is the morning glory, however yugao or "evening face" (who is a name of one of the female protagonists) I believe refers to the bottle gourd vine.
Is this correct? Or should the yugao be Ipomoea alba Moonflower which opens in the evening?

I believe the pinks referred to are "chinese pinks"

I'd be interested in any other references to the plant species that anyone can come up with in ancient Japanese literature

Shepparton got me interested in this question of the yuugao/Moonflower and I did a little research.

There are two plants in Japanese, yuugao (literally "moon face") and yorugao (literally "evening face"), which are at times confused.

Yuugao (mentioned in the Tale of Genji) appears to be Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida according to the website below. It's a big ugly gourd, but it has a night-blooming, white flower. Let's hope Genji never let his lover see the fruit of this plant! The more attractive, hourglass-shaped gourd which we often see as a motif in Chinese and Japanese art seems to be Lagenaria siceraria.

Yorugao is our familiar Ipomoea alba, known as Moonflower, a member of the morning glory family which has night-blooming white flowers. According to the website, Yorugao is sometimes mistakenly called Yuugao. In "Garden Plants of Japan" Ran Levy-Yamamori says this plant was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era, which would make it impossible for this to be the plant in Tale of Genji.

Finally, another website: http://homepage3.nifty.com/plantsandjapan/page080.html
states that Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida is the plant in Tale of Genji.

Click the link to see the ugly gourd (which is also the source of the popular food item "kampyo" or dried gourd).

Lee (who should be doing other things.....)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Real Yuugao

Not connected with Genji particularly but am I right in thinking that this is another cultural difference: the appreciation of flowers? When I look at the favoured flowers in a Japanese garden I see azalea, iris and cherry blossom which, when I think about it all have a short flowering season that mark the change in season and beauty's impermanance. Contrast this with the common western approach that desires all season colour or continuous flowering. I am not saying that one is right and the other wrong, I am just making an observation.

And a very worthwhile observation at that, but sure who could say which is right or wrong. The importance of the change in season and whatsmore the impermanance of beauty could not be highlighted more clearly than with the Japanese anticipation of autumn colour (sorry fall color) or Ko-yo. This impermanance of beauty is particularly relevant to this gardener who is currently spending 8 hrs a day sweeping the most gloriosly coloured fallen leaves !

Graham

INKognito, the azalea is not really chosen for its blooms. In fact, the pruning regimen destroys many potential blossoms. It is more appreciated for its green hues, compact form and ability to be shaped into desireable forms.

Your example of cherry and iris are appreciated as you suspected; part of much anticipated changes of season. They are appreciated for their fleeting contribution to the landscape, and thus represent the seasons of human life. Cherry in particular has a history of representing beginning and end. Today, cherry bloom season represents the start of the new year. In history, fallen cherry blossoms represented the death of Samurai who fought to their death.

Where banks of flowers in bloom would be destracting to the kind of beauty we appreciate in Japanese gardens, the anticipation of a single red camelia coming into flower, or the ephemeral magic of the cherry's brief season only make the setting more precious.