The Japanese Garden
Encyclopedia
.jpg)
Sepulveda Dam
Located in Los Angeles, California, the Sepulveda Dam is a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, built in 1941 to withhold winter flood waters along the Los Angeles River...
in Woodley Park
Woodley Park (Los Angeles, California)
Woodley Park is a recreation area managed by the City of Los Angeles and located at Victory Boulevard and Woodley Avenue. It is "a popular gathering area in the sprawling Sepulveda Basin, drawing regular crowds of model airplane, classic car, and cricket enthusiasts." The park is also the site of...
, at 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, California, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the midst of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. It was designed by Dr. Koichi Kawana and constructed between 1980 and 1983, with formal dedication on June 18, 1984. The Garden has been ranked tenth out of 300 public Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
s in the United States by the Journal of Japanese Gardening.
As one first enters the Garden, one walks through a dry Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
meditation garden (Karesansui) containing a large grass-covered mound, representing Tortoise Island
Kusu Island
Kusu Island is one of the Southern Islands in Singapore, located about 5.6 kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The name means "Tortoise Island" or "Turtle Island" in Chinese; the island is also known as Peak Island or Pulau Tembakul in Malay...
, a symbol of longevity, and a Three Buddhas arrangement of stones. Next comes an expansive chisen, or "wet strolling" garden with waterfalls, lakes, greenery, and stone lantern
Tōrō
A "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
s. At path's end is the Shoin Building with an authentic 4-1/2 tatami
Tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...
(7 m²) tea house
Tea house
A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."-Asia:In Central Asia this term...
and adjacent tea garden
Tea garden
Tea garden may refer to:* Roji, gardens surrounding Japanese tea houses and which form part of the architecture associated with Japanese tea ceremony* Tea plantations, where tea bushes are cultivated...
.
The garden is a popular spot that can be rented for wedding ceremonies and has also been rented to Hollywood projects such as Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
where it stood for various planets and Starfleet locations on Earth, such as Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
.