A Study on the Relationship Between the Formation of Historic Gardens and Regional Characteristics in Niigata

Abstract

This paper analyses topographical characteristics of historic gardens in the greater Niigata area with regard to the locations of gardens, the spatial organization of the gardens and other related topics. The salient of this study are as follows: 1. Periods when most of the gardens of wealthy farmers and the like were established and/or expanded coincide with the era of the emergence and development of the landowner class. 2. The locations of gardens in the Niigata area are classified into 15 categories, based on economic affluence and natural topography. 3. Few historic gardens of Rinzai, one of the Buddhist sects, are located in the Niigata region. 4. 80 percent of the total consists of gardens which made use of water. Such gardens are very common in the plains and mountainous regions. The Hiraniwa style (Roji and Karesansui gardens) is popular in coastal regions. 5. The Kaiyu style garden, a circular type of garden, is mostly located on floodplain topography, where wealthy landowners resided. 6. There are many front type, backyard type and courtyard type of gardens compare with circular type of gardens in the smaller farmland belt areas of the mountainous regions. It seems that the emergence of circular gardens on the plains was influenced by social factors such as wealth, authority, and social status. The backyard type and the Hiraniwa type in coastal regions seem to have been more influenced by natural factors such as topography, environmental conditions and man's need to manipulate those elements for his survival and pleasure.