Page "Japanese garden" Paragraph 257

The first manual of Japanese gardening was the " Sakuteiki " (" Records of Garden Making "), probably written in the late eleventh century by Tachibana no Tohshitsuna, ( 1028 – 1094 ).

Citing even older Chinese sources, it explains how to organize the garden, from the placement of rocks and streams to the correct depth of ponds and height of cascades.

While it was based on earlier Chinese garden principles, it also expressed ideas which were unique to Japanese gardens, such as islands, beaches and rock formations imitating Japanese maritime landscapes.