Japanese Gardens and Landscapes

MA Elective Course

(2 SWS / 3 ECTS)

Language:        Englisch

Time:                Thursday, 11 April 2024, 10:30 – 12:30 (first date), weekly event

                          Garden-Workshops: 6./7.6. und 30.7. – 2.8.2024 

Room:              C.A.R.L. Claßenstraße 11, Raum S05

Lecturers:        Dr. Murielle Hladik and Yosuke Yamaguchi (tbc)

This elective is dedicated to Japanese gardens, landscapes and architecture. Our journey through the art of garden history begins with certain types of gardens, where the viewer perceives the scenery from a boat (chisen-shūyū (池泉舟遊), from a villa or while walking along a garden path. These gardens are meticulously described in the Secret Book of Gardens, the Sakutei-ki, which was published in the 11th century. Another section of the course is dedicated to the dry Zen garden (Karesansui) and follows the line of evolution from the first thoughts of the monk Musō Soseki (1275-1351) to the latest Zen gardens. From the scale of tiny and almost minimalist gardens, we will expand into the larger scale of landscapes. Particular attention will be paid to spatial terms such as ‘en’ and ‘ma’, which refer to the relationship between inside and outside. The knowledge gained will be applied in the clay garden in Aachen-Seffent over the course of two garden workshops. For the second workshop in July 2024, we will invite gardener Yosuke Yamaguchi from Nagasaki, who will teach us Japanese gardening techniques.