Adelaide Himeji Gardens is a traditionally-styled

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

, a gift from Adelaide's sister city,

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

in 1982. It is located in Park 18 (Peppermint Park / Wita Wirra), one of the southern parts of the

Adelaide Park Lands The Adelaide Park Lands comprise the figure-eight configuration of land, spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton, which encloses and separates the City of Adelaide area (including both the Adelaide city centre and ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. The entrance is from South Terrace, between Pulteney and Hutt streets.

History

The garden was originally designed by council staff, in consultation with the Adelaide Japanese community, after Adelaide and

entered a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationship in 1982. However, aspects of the garden's design were criticised, including its cyclone fence and lack of attention to detail. In 1986, Japanese landscape designer Yoshitaka Kumada drew up plans to refurbish the garden, which included the purchase of trees and shrubs from

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, and stones from near Adelaide. After a

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

ground-breaking ceremony in May 1987, the works began, with Kumada himself overseeing the project. The little lake was reshaped, the

Sea of Sand ''Sea of Sand'' (released in the US as ''Desert Patrol'') is a 1958 British war film starring Richard Attenborough, John Gregson and Michael Craig. The film, which was directed by Guy Green, is about a patrol of the Long Range Desert Group ( ...

was expanded, and the garden filled with carefully selected plants and ornamentation to complement the granite Okunoin lantern gifted by the City of Himeji in 1985. The redesign was finally implemented completely in 1989, but Kumada continued to visit each year during the early 1990s, tweaking details and teaching techniques to the council gardeners.

Description

Many of Kumada's design principles are still in evidence. The paving stones are of a size that compels an adult walker to slow down. The garden is split into a '' sansui'' (山水), a "mountain and lake garden", and a ''

kare-sansui The or Japanese rock garden, often called a Zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and us ...

'' (枯山水), a "dry rock garden", intended to evoke mountains surrounded by water, even the sea. The council's

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

team still use the techniques taught by Kumada himself, handed down as staff moved on. Maintenance of the Sea of Sand demands careful attention, to retain its basic pattern, showing waves coming into those islands and straight lines for the ocean.

References

{{coord, -34.935721, 138.609762, format=dms, display=title Asian-Australian culture in South Australia Parks in Adelaide Japanese gardens in Australia South Terrace, Adelaide