A STUDY ON MIREI SHIGEMORI'S DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT “NATURE” IN SHIN-SAKUTEIKI

Abstract

 1. Introduction

 The purpose of this report is to clarify the Japanese gardener Mirei Shigemori’s (1896-1975) garden theory by focusing on the descriptions about “Nature” in his essay Shin-Sakuteiki. Previous researches on Mirei Shigemori are mainly focused on his conception through his eyes. We have focused on the keywords “Nature” and “Modern” and structured their meaning. In this research, we try to clarify his thought with descriptions he has left by exploring his theory about gardening. In Chapter 2, we confirm the position of Shin-Sakuteiki in the descriptions of Mirei Shigemori. In Chapter 3, we focus on words relating to “Nature” in Shin-Sakuteiki. In Chapter 4, we interpret specific discourses related to “Nature.” In Chapter 5, we examine his gardening theory in later years by structuring meaning from the descriptions.

 2. About Shin-Sakuteiki

 Shin-Sakuteiki is an essay in the monthly essay attached to Nihon Teienshi Taikei (“Japanese Garden History Survey.”) The title of it is borrowed from the title of Sakuteiki, which is known as the oldest gardening manual in Japan. Shigemori had quoted Sakuteiki many times in garden research and had taken it up in many literatures. Published over the course of eighteen months, his garden design theory constitutes a deep expression of Shigemori’s later theory.

 3. Positioning of words related to “Nature” in Shin-Sakuteiki

 Shin-Sakuteiki is composed of 201 paragraphs, 6 paragraphs in the “Introduction”, 51 paragraphs in the “Introduction to Main issue, ” and 144 paragraphs in the “Main issue.” Words relating to “Nature” are used very often, in a total of 312 places（“Nature”-256 ; “Mother Nature”-36 ; words implying “Nature”-20.） Thus, we can understand how important the recognition of “Nature” for interpreting Shigemori's garden theory.

 4. Description of “Nature” in Shin-Sakuteiki

 In Shin-Sakuteiki, there is no descriptions of “Super Nature” which exceeding “Nature” and there is the expression “approach to God.” It can be understood that Shigemori's gardening is a behavior involving deification to be close to an approach to God. Furthermore, Shigemori's description is related to the creation of the gardens and emphasizes his relationship with God. “Nature” was not just a garden material, it was the same as the gardener regarded as a reflection of the gardener. As long as the thoughts of the ancient Japanese who worship “Mother Nature” as a god create a garden based on “Nature, ” such is a garden’s starting point.

 5. Conclusion

 Shigemori perceived that creating arrangement of stones in a garden has the same structure as “Iwakura, Iwasaka, ” which the ancient Japanese created. The difference is that people now create “art” for the purpose of “appreciation, ” while forebears created by “intuition.” The result of this report is to show that His way created gardens related to ancient Japanese views about “Nature.” At the same time, it shows the ultimate goal of abandoning distracting thoughts and creating by “intuition.” He connected the history of Japanese gardens with “Iwakura, Iwasaka, ” and positioned gardening as a part of the rituals that were originally introduced in a garden. By focusing on the words relating to “Nature” in Shin-Sakuteiki, it is revealed that Shigemori in his later years, created sacred gardens.