Curator Diane Durston to Speak in Tokyo

Mizuno Katsuhiko

Diane Durston, the Portland Japanese garden curator of art, culture and education, teaching House of Japan in Tokyo on October 28.Diane's theme is "porting old Kyoto Home," journey through his experience with the preservation of historic in an ancient city in Japan, and the steps it has taken in educating the American public for traditional Japanese arts and culture; 18 years of age, resident in Kyoto, Diane is the author of several guides and articles appearing in Japan: life cycle Sourcebook on Japan and the encyclopedia of Japan.

"Efforts to achieve the conservation of historically has been verified by the Japanese Government, but the bulk of legislation which exists in the monumental structures – castles, temples, culture and villas that still dogratisniâ landscape. for most historical cities in the world the preservation of historic is expensive and adjustable endeavor. Once built entirely of wood, the town has its hands full Kyoto now with the maintenance and restoration of wooden temples, culture and villas over two thousand.

Because Kyoto was spared the bombings of World War II, however, to preserve, not only of temples and shrines, but traditional landscape itself has taken on special historical interest. Wooden dwellings remain in Kyoto are almost everything that is left to the Pre-war urban Japan.

… In fact, so much has already been destroyed, the traditional Kyoto image that tourists at home and abroad, have led to expect more from legend quickly becomes reality.

If simply by nostalgic desire to adhere to the past, which looks more romantic in retrospect than it was ever really are motivated preservationists, developers can easily reject their efforts as sentimental and passe. more important than the feeling, however, is the principle of ensuring that way of life, for which these old neighborhoods is home — cooperation, safety, a sense of pride – does not disappear with any Old wooden house, culminating in a pile of dust."

— Diane Durston, Kyoto: the seven paths to the heart of the city

Links:

Profile of Japanese GardenReservations Durston in Portland for the Talk Durston

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What makes Portland Japanese garden, one of the most beautiful public gardens in the world?

It is often said that Portland Japanese garden is one of the most beautiful Japanese Gardens in the world. What makes our garden so special?

The first is design.Professor Takuma Tono, internationally recognized authority on the design of the Japanese landscape Oversaw most of the early construction and organisation of the garden in its five harmonious components. Professor Tono designed garden Japanese aesthetic, but in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

Japanese aesthetics differ from those of our Western European origin where, schools tend to emphasize blooms cause color and bold. Japanese aesthetic is weaker, with its shades of green, random colorful flower and drew attention to a form. This aesthetic touches us any differently.

The second is meticulous service, which receives our garden.In the 1950s and 1960s were corrected as relations with Japan, many Japanese "friendship" gardens were created in the United States and around the globe, these gardens, a few people were loving attention to detail and aesthetics that our always had.

The staff of traditionally trained gardeners maintains an authentic game and interaction between dimensions and shapes in our garden, which provokes a special kind of interest and resume contributes to this sense of location. tranquil Garden staff attention in their clipping and shaping of the details and the amount in such a way that the things to keep in smaller, more human scale.

Third, is the intensity, the variety and quality of programming from traditional Ikebana and tea ceremony for displays to last year the striking parallel worlds exhibition solely for the purpose of the work of Indigo, textile arts, Shihoko Fukumoto and new Japanese garden lecture series, the Portland Japanese garden offers an array of exceptional cultural events, which depict the intersection of modern and traditional.

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Zig zag bridge is getting Face Lift

April 2009, David M Cobb

Meandering stroll through beautiful iris garden beds and along the stream filled with fish, koi, zig zag bridge is genuine and integral part of Professor Takuma Tono garden design.Familiar fairy tale about this style of age-old Japanese bridge claims that evil spirits only to prosecute in a straight line – so that those who effectively going to shake the bridge outside their trouble! zig zag Bridge is certainly a delight for visitors of Portland Japanese garden, and since their number has increased over the years, the original bridge began to show its age.

In 2008, the Foundation receives grant from garden Wessinger to reconstruct the bridge, which allows us to purchase special reclaimed wood bridge stations. The opportunity was waiting that long perfectly clear-down old wood covered only recently during the storm while maintaining underwater for decades.

This year's generous gift by Harold & Arlene Schnitzer care Foundation allows's zig zag bridge.Additional material, including Alaskan Yellow Cedar cradles were produced from the last Garden Pavilion construction project.Removing and replacing the bridge also provides for the possibility of correcting the original Lakes linear floor.

The end result will be less to restrict visitors remain in harmony with the traditional Japanese garden setting and belonging to the original plan of Tono and sturdier. "In our plans for the building, carefully attention has been given status of historical development and the corresponding values, aesthetic, "commented garden curatorship Sadafumi Uchiyama."Finest quality materials and craftsmanship will make these improvements of the bridge of great benefit to the garden. "

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Promote and preserve the culture of Japan

As many of you know, last year I had the exceptional opportunity to spend six months in Japan as a fellow of the International Affairs and as a visiting scholar at the Tokyo University of agriculture. During my time at University I often eat lunch in municipalities with some of the pupils so can my Japanese language skills into practice and learn firsthand the Japanese people and their culture today. One day, when talking about how much I love our Japanese cultural events such as the O-Bon and Moonviewing in Garden in Portland, two young Japanese students looked intrigued. They said they tested or Festival and joked that perhaps I knew more about Japanese culture rather than never.

This call me with important insights and strengthened my commitment to advance our incredible Garden in order to facilitate the promotion and preservation of the culture of Japan. While most people associate the preservation of their culture in museums and exhibitions of artifacts and art work here in the Garden we have a unique opportunity to offer the dissemination of contemporary and traditional culture through business, and the exhibition with the assistance of the garden as a place to ensure a considerable cultural and aesthetic context.The garden has a long tea ceremonies and Ikebana demonstration added cultural festivals, such as children's day and Kiku Matsuri Hina Matsuri and extended offers which include many practical workshops in traditional Japanese garden techniques and practices, all these programs act directly to maintain traditional Japanese culture.

Equally important in the exceptional leadership of curatorial Diane Durston exhibition last year of Arts northwest Native Americans and the indigenous people of the Ainu in Japan makes the impact and innovative cultural comparisons.Impressive garden installation of glass art by Jun Kaneko in 2008 to attract an audience of entirely new for the garden, providing all the exciting and important convergence of modern Japanese artistic expression in the traditional setting.This year, we are with the contemporary Japanese art in the work of Indigo, textile artist, Shihoko Fukumoto in November and the traditional art with hidden art of Netsuke carving exhibition in June. these diverse programmes offer important perspective of Japanese culture with the garden as a background. these exhibitions and activities established customs and traditions of the past, as well as innovative ideas of this audience of today on the creative and unique ways that speak, sometimes slightly and sometimes very markedly.

Portland Japanese garden is proud to play a role in helping the local community and visitors from around the nation and the world (including perhaps some friends from Japan), with the beauty of Japanese culture, old and new, right here in our incredible garden.

– Steve Bloom

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State of the Japanese garden in Japan

When I was in Japan last year, six months, one of my intent was to get to know professionals and workers in the Japanese garden industry. I wanted to find out as I could about current initiatives for the design, preservation of culture or tradition, what happens to gardening techniques and an understanding of the cultural and economic status of the gardens themselves. Also I wanted to set up a network of professionals, which would link the Japanese Gardens in the United States and North America with Japanese counterparts.

Not surprisingly I found there to be of concern in Japan for the preservation of art in the form of the Japanese garden, especially on the face of modern landscape design with America and Europe.There is also a shortage of qualified perplexing designers, constructors, and gardeners who know the old techniques. There is no longer the same prestige in becomes gardener, nor has the same patronage of gardens, which has helped them sound.

Decisions that are visible, but it is not easy to build the awareness of the importance of the garden which constitute art in Japan and to save young people in the preservation of this aspect of culture. Several new builds, the gardens were razed and some old gardens for new works in Japan, due to the expense of maintenance and, more importantly, the shortage of real estate in this small, highly populated country.

Because more Japanese Gardens are currently being developed outside of Japan than in the context of industry professionals in Japan began to look for leadership in the West.Portland Japanese garden is at the top of this list.Our garden is well-known in Japan and professionals, I met there is a lot of respect for the environment as one of the Japanese Gardens bestmaintained in the world.

Our garden is an unusual contains five garden styles within one garden, so we essentially become a guardian of Japanese-style we also have a good reputation is described in detail, so that the Garden is in accordance with its original design Our meticulous attention. relations with its garden pays its forerunners in Japan and therefore very well known.

– Steve Bloom

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Garden and store and online

Posted June 2, 2010

June marks the official beginning of summer and the beginning of the season for the purchase of a gift: weddings, graduations, father's day and the housewarming parties will continue. We have a new harvest of sweets in the garden and store and online, on a case by case basis and everyone on your list.Books, CDs, sake sets, pen trays, 2011 garden calendars and our exclusive wear logo are just a few ideas that come to mind. Let me help you with suggestions in our blog at shop.japanesegarden.com/blog.

From June 12-13, the garden is host of the Rose Festival has covered Sogetsu school exhibition. Stop by eternal store for two of the books in school or lemoto Grand Master, Akane Teshigahara and save 50% for each book (60% for garden members).

Learn more about our netsuke exhibition of 19 June

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Portland takes leadership in creating a new partnership between Japanese gardens, national and international

Portland Japanese Garden makes rapid progress in bringing together leaders in the Japanese garden industry towards the formation of a partnership with the purpose of preserving the traditions of designs and techniques of this historic form of art. Japanese garden in Portland we feel strongly that responsibility and actively participate in ways that fit in our mission.

First, we are working on our own garden gardening techniques to preserve real (such as pruning, bamboo fencebuilding and raking of Zen Garden) marketing, local seminars and dissemination of information about sources of materials for private and public gardens.

Garden increases its links with amateur and professional gardeners. for example, our garden curatorship consults with other public gardens and landscape architectural services students are frequent visitors here on our site.

Classes and other information programmes are part of our mission to educate.

To enhance the cultural experience, we use our educational programming (exhibitions, events, festivals), as well as garden and provides an interactive experience of visitors to deepen their understanding of the Japanese aesthetic.

Finally, the Portland Japanese garden is taking a leadership role in establishing a consortium of Japanese garden pro-am here in North America through the integration of members of the Japanese garden area in North America to attend our workshops and lectures, we insure, conservation and development in the areas of design, construction, maintenance and equipment-all in ways that work for intellectuals, so as not to lose the traditional ways we feel very strongly about our part, while maintaining this window to another culture.

– Steve Bloom

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