Wyndham Wisdom

Painting With Land

Tranquil and inspiring, Japanese gardens bring a touch of Asia to North American cities. Here, eight of the best

Islands of serenity made of little more than trees, stones and water, Japanese gardens are famous around the world. To enjoy them at their best, you don't need to hop a flight to Tokyo: Most large North American cities have authentic examples of this horticultural tradition. Often, a single garden is designed to represent several styles and historical periods, so you can move from the artistically arranged scenery of Tsukiyama, or "hill" gardens, to the austere abstract patterns of gravel and stone typical of the meditative Karesansui, or "dry" garden, school. Every type aspires to the ultimate aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the beauty of nature's simplicity and transience. Visitors to the eight examples here are likely to find wabi-sabi in plentiful supply. After all, many of these oases were built with the help of Japan's most revered garden masters, and are furnished with Japanese artworks. Despite their authenticity, they're no more than a taxi or subway ride from the heart of the city.

Philadelphia, PA
Shofuso Japanese House & Garden
A primary goal of Japanese garden design is to unify dwelling and landscape, something Shofuso (the name means "pine breeze villa") does exceptionally well. The house was handcrafted in Japan in 1953 by Heizaemon Ito, a 13th-generation carpenter. The garden's stones were collected from mountains in Japan, and wrapped for shipping to preserve the moss growing on them. During a 2007 restoration, artist Hiroshi Senju painted murals of waterfalls on sliding partitions within the house, using traditional materials in a modernist style. Senju studied the light in the garden in different seasons so his pigments would successfully bring the outdoors inside. 4700 States Dr.; 215-878-5097; shofuso.com; admission $6, includes guided tour

Boston, MA
Tenshin-En, Museum of Fine Arts
Today in Japan, garden design is largely the province of specialists, but historically, the leading painters of the day were also often garden designers. You'll get a rare opportunity to explore this connection at Tenshin-En ("Garden of the Heart of Heaven"). The museum's renowned collection of Japanese art is exhibited steps away from a 10,000-squarefoot garden designed in the "dry" Karesansui style. After receiving the commission, master Kinsaku Nakane flew up and down the New England coast in a small plane, absorbing the landscape so he could pay tribute to its topography and character in his design. A revered figure in Japanese gardening, Nakane regarded this as one of his finest works. 465 Huntington Ave.; 617-267-9300; mfa.org; $17

Portland, OR
Portland Japanese Garden
This complex of five separate gardens offers a prime introduction to the diversity of traditional Japanese horticulture. The "dry" meditation garden of stones set in raked, patterned sand sits next to the "natural" woodland garden; nearby is the "flat" Hira-niwa garden, a stylized seascape created without any actual water. Pass through the wisteriaclad arbor in the Strolling Pond Garden to discover an antique five-tiered stone pagoda lantern. Beyond that is the Tea Garden, a rustic landscape meant to slow visitors' steps, refocus their attention on nature and prepare them for the ceremonies enacted in the teahouse. If you come in early October, make time for an evening of O-Tsukimi, or moonviewing, with music, poetry and sake or tea. 611 S.W. Kingston Ave.; 503-223-1321; japanesegarden.com; $8

Los Angeles, CA
Seiryu-en, Japanese American
Cultural & Community Center
Designed by Japanese-born landscape architect Takeo Uesugi, this 8,500-square-foot downtown oasis uses a screen of redwoods to shield visitors from the surrounding hustle and bustle. Uesugi's triangular pattern drew inspiration from Kyoto's famed Murin-an garden, though he introduced local elements like California redwoods and rocks from Mount Baldy. Bamboo-shaded paths, a waterfall and a shallow pond make this a wonderful strolling, or shuyu, garden. Visit the adjoining cultural center for performances and exhibitions by contemporary Asian and Pacific Island artists. Through June 26, the center is screening classic Japanese films and hosting a demonstration of calligraphy. 244 S. San Pedro St.; 213-628-2725; jaccc.org; admission free

Denver, CO
Shofu-en, Denver Botanic Gardens
Eight hundred tons of stones were trucked here from nearby peaks to decorate the two-acre setting. Among Shofu-en's plantings are dozens of venerable ponderosa pines, collected from the wild by members of the Denver Bonsai Club. Small islands in a central pond have been shaped to recall traditional motifs: the crane, the tortoise (both symbols of longevity) and the kibune, or treasure ship (a symbol of good fortune). The teahouse was shipped from Japan and reassembled here, while the garden's stone lanterns include a 200-year-old antique and one with a broad roof designed to catch and hold falling snow in an especially picturesque manner. 1005 York St.; 720-865-3500; botanicgardens.org; $12.50

St. Louis, MO
Seiwa-en, Missouri Botanical Garden
Covering 14 acres, with broad lawns and a 4½-acre lake, Seiwa-en is the largest strolling Japanese garden in North America. Its style is rooted in the late Edo period of the 19th century and reflects the growing enthusiasm for travel among middle-class and wealthy Japanese of that era. Visitors can lose themselves for hours on the garden paths, discovering and savoring views of its Zigzag Bridge, whose iris-edged segments recall a legendary bridge in Japanese literature, and the Blue Boulder Cascade, a three-level waterfall made from stones placed to enhance the acoustics of the falling stream. Such views and sounds would surely have inspired a Japanese traveler to muse upon the hierarchy of heaven, earth and man. 4344 Shaw Blvd.; 314-577-5100; mobot.org; $8

Brooklyn, NY
Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden,
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
In 1907, after spending his youth crisscrossing Japan to explore its landscapes, Takeo Shioto emigrated to the United States. He dreamed of creating "a garden more beautiful than all others in the world," and this updated version of Japan's ancient hill-and-pond style is the result. Its meticulously choreographed paths are intended to draw visitors into and through the landscape, gradually revealing composed views of hills, a waterfall, a pond and an island. Trees have been pruned and trained over decades to mimic the stunted vegetation on windswept crags or suggest the shapes of hills and clouds. The nearby Steinhardt Conservatory houses a stellar collection of bonsai, some more than a century old.
1000 Washington Ave.; 718-623-7200; bbg.org; $8

Montreal, Quebec
Japanese Garden & Pavilion,
Montreal Botanical Garden
Designed in the 1980s by the late Ken Nakajima, a leader of contemporary Japanese landscape architecture, this sixacre retreat has a number of notable features. Its collection of Japanese plants--tree peonies, iris, azaleas--is outstanding, and there's a pond where huge koi (ornamental carp) swim about. The small but choice display of bonsai includes one specimen believed to be more than 350 years old. (Visitors can compare these with the dwarfed trees, or penjing, in the nearby Chinese garden.) In summer, tea ceremonies are performed weekly in the tea garden and teahouse, along with demonstrations of how to make origami, wear a kimono and create a bonsai. 4101 Sherbrooke St. E.; 514-872-0607; $13 (USD) in summer