Japanese Garden Training Program

The Environment of Kyoto and Japanese Gardens
—Sharing an Aesthetic Consciousness Nurtured Since Ancient Times—

There are all kinds of Japanese gardens. In Kyoto, gardens have been created for over 1,000 years, their forms changing with each passing period. Yet in every age, one thing Japanese gardens have always shared is their expression of nature.

Already by the eleventh century, it was written that gardens should be created “by emulating nature.” The Sakuteiki, the world’s oldest garden creation manual, teaches garden creation technique and aesthetic taste that remains valid today.

Kyoto is a place surrounded by mountains on three sides that is rich in water resources. The gardens that developed in this city incorporated and made full use of the stones and scenery made available by the surrounding natural environment. In other words, the secret of Kyoto gardens’ beauty lies in how they use the surrounding environment to express nature.

Over this five-day program, we aim to give participants a grounding in the aesthetic sense lying in the background of Japanese garden beauty. On the morning of our first day, our company president Tomoki Kato, who is also a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, will lecture on garden management and the relationship between Japanese gardens and their surrounding environments. In the afternoon, we will visit gardens managed and fostered by Ueyakato Landscape. The second day will be dedicated to garden management training in how to nurture landscapes that incorporate their external scenery.

The program’s last three days focus on the key to Japanese garden creation: stone arrangements. First, we will visit gardens and discuss how their stones were chosen and arranged. We will then have participants create their own garden scenery under the advice of Ueyakato Landscape gardeners.

By spreading knowledge of the Japanese garden aesthetics that were developed in Kyoto, training program forms part of our important mission to pass beautiful Japanese gardens to future generations.

Schedule

April 22-26 (Mon.-Fri.), 2024

Day 1

AM　Lecture (Lecturer: Tomoki Kato, Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts)
PM　Garden excursions（Traditional gardens under Ueyakato Landscape management）
Welcome lunch

Day 2

Garden management training（Garden fostering that incorporates the surrounding scenery）

Day 3

Garden excursions（Stone arrangements and scenic views of Kyoto gardens）

Day 4

Garden creation training (How to select and arrange stones+garden designs)

Day 5

Garden creation training (Completing a stone arrangement)
Dinner party

Price:

¥800,000- （We offer financial assistance scholarships. For details see “Scholarship Program” below.）
*The above tuition covers the cost of tools, footwear, travel expenses and garden entry fees during training as well as lunchtime food and drink expenses, and a dinner party on the last day. Participants bear the cost of lodging expenses and travel expenses to Ueyakato Landscape.

Participants:

5 people.
*Applicants will be screened in that the event we receive many applications. We thank you in advance for your understanding.

Application Deadline:

February 12, 2024 (Mon.)9:00 JST

How to Apply:

Fill the required items into the form below and submit your own resume. There is no required format for the resume, but please make sure to include the following information. 　　　　

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Education Record, including higher education major
• Employment Record
• Reason for applying to this program (Maximum 1page)

Scholarship Program:

Ueyakato Landscape will cover half of the training cost (￥400,000-) for applicants it deems capable of contributing to the future continuation and further evolution of Japanese garden culture. For details about our scholarship program please refer “To Apply.”