A Study on Descriptions of Gardens in Diaries in the Heian Period

Abstract

It is said that the court ladies in the Heian period played an important roll in politics and culture in the era. This study analyzed 85 descriptions of 15 gardens which are expressed their 5 diaries and clarified three facts as follows:
(1) There was no large difference basicaly in the garden life of the Imperial family, the upper and the lower nobilities.
(2) The descriptions of the garden life as it was in the diaries agreed with those of the novels such as “GENJI MONOGATARI”, therefore it was ascertained that both of them were reliable.
(3) Concerning landscape design; they admired garden detailes such as garden pond, Yarimizu (garden stream), artificial hill and planting connecting deeply with Setsu-Getsu-Ka (snow, moon, and flower) and weather. Concerning common-use; the knowledge of various garden enjoyment such as annual garden events, playing with snow balls, moonlight party, gifting a blooming-branch and enjoying the singing of birds and insects was obtained. Concerning maintenance; the realities of cleaning gardens, transplanting, division of plants, maintenance of garden trees, and garden lighting were understood.