The most important characteristic of Japanese gardens is the miniaturization of the natural landscape using four major elements: water, stones, plants and scenes. The composition style of Japanese gardens is different from that of Italian garden. In Japanese gardens, components are laid out sinuously and asymmetrically. Japanese feel sentiment in seasonal transitions of nature, and believe that the beauties of nature, Kachofugetsu, is one of the major contributors that constitute the beauty of each season. You watch the relection of the moon in the water and the moonlight spilled out of the branches of a pine tree, while drinking up a floating moon from a sake goblet. Essentially, this conduct is based on the traditional Japanese aesthetics. I would like to present the garden style that exploits this aesthetics and that fits in modern life.
	The composition of works of art by Japan's great masters, such as Hokusai and Hiroshige, are based upon a viewpoint which is not always accessible to the human eye. For instance, the images of Hokusai's waves are based on their proportion in relation to a fish in the ocean. Similarly the crater at the top of Mt. Fuji, in also one of his paintings, can only be seen by birds in the sky at that time. We must learn from the innovative interpretation of the great masters and take a fresh look at things from multiple standpoints with an open, flexible mindset.
	The landscape designed from the viewpoints of birds, insects or fish will be very different from that of the human standpoint. It therefore provides the space which nourishes and nurtures both human beings and the environment. The initial concept of my garden is the creation of a space which offers people the chance to heal themselves through their encounters with nature and all its attributes, such as flowers, birds, butterflies and so forth.
	I believe one of the most beautiful creations among all human cultures is the invention of written characters, from the earliest hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians to Japan's hiragana characters, which have a soft, appealing characteristic. It is widely argued that the alphabets had taken roots in ancient times and hiragana characters were initially used exclusively by females, based on Chinese characters. The combination of alphabets and hiragana characters creates a vibrant rhythm which is an important factor in my design. This is my second concept. Learning from the rich heritage of Japanese culture, I would like to present the essence of ZEN and a vibrant form of beauty which blends Eastern and Western elements.
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