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NAJGA references for Japanese gardens; tools, terms, ideals, philosophies, design considerations and the craft of Japanese gardens as living art forms. Find information, how-to’s, history, and an overview of the art of Japanese gardening for every level of interest.
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Learn along with Japanese garden professionals, garden staff, and gardeners building their own Japanese gardens who contribute a wealth of information in hundreds of articles and reviews of past Japanese garden events.
A Tea Ceremony Terms Glossary
Reviewed May, 2025 by Elliot Mitchnick. This is a glossary of important words associated with the Japanese Formal Tea Ceremony and Tea Gardens. For a list of Japanese gardening terms, see Japanese Gardening Terms. aisatsu (挨拶) - refers to greetings and formal expressions of politeness and respect. Its meaning can change with time of day, situation and those involved in the exchange. azukibachi – a skillful combination of ingredients from the other kaiseki dishes meant to demonstrate...
Donnie Pylant | May 10, 2025
Japan Tour Travelogue- Part III
In this third travelogue, landscape professionals who journeyed to Japan with the North American Japanese Garden Association in November 2025 share deeper insights. See the experience through their eyes as they recount their stories and adventures.Day 3: November 20 - Tokyo and Kyoto On day three, the group enjoyed touring the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, then embarked the world-famous Shinkansen Bullet Train to Kyoto to meet up with their guide who took them through...
Tom Lupfer | Apr 29, 2025
Karesansui vs Zen Garden
Karesansui vs Zen Garden: Karesansui, also known as dry landscapes or raked sand gardens, are sometimes misleadingly referred to in Western culture as 'Zen gardens'. In his Japanese Garden Handbook, Andrew R Deane addresses this misapplication in Chapter 5: The Dry Landscape Garden:In the western mind, however, the dry landscape garden is now almost exclusively – and misleadingly – associated with the Spartan aesthetics of Zen temples. These landscapes were not meant to be entered...
Donnie Pylant | Apr 27, 2025
Amache Remembered: Unearthing Stories, Cultivating Legacy
LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE In this special episode of the NAJGA podcast, hosts Jan Liverance and Marisa Rodriguez are joined by two remarkable guests—Dr. Bonnie Clark and Greg Kitajima—for a moving conversation about gardens, resilience, and the enduring legacy of Amache. Clockwise from Lower Right: Guard Tower at Amache, the World War II Japanese American incarceration camp in Colorado, Barracks at Amache, Map of Amache, Team during Amache Community Archeology Project. About our Guests: Dr....
NAJGA Manager | Apr 23, 2025
Japan Tour Travelogue- Part II
In this second travelogue, we hear more from the landscape professionals who traveled to Japan with the North American Japanese Garden Association during November of 2025. Experience the journey through their eyes and adventures as they share more of their stories.Day 2: November 19 - Tokyo On the second day of our tour, we covered several more gardens, went to a museum andattended a networking reception held in a unique structure, filled with history and intrigue. Hama-rikyu- shoreline...
Tom Lupfer | Apr 1, 2025
