Heritage

PEACEFUL HARMONY - HARMONY OF HUMANS AND NATURE

Nature has long held an important role in Japanese culture. Natural elements, such as the wind, earth, rain, and sky, are important sources of inspiration for Japanese designers and artists in every field, and protecting the environment is a genuine concern throughout Japanese society.

Located in a mountainous region, the historic villages of Shirakawa-go was registerd as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site in 1995. The houses in the village are built of wooden beams with a steep thatched roof in the shape of a triangle, similar to hands folded in prayer, to withstand heavy snowfall in the winter. The houses face north and south to minimize wind resistance and to adjust the amount of sun in order to keep the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. Despite economic upheavals, the villages are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life.

In Kyoto, the Ryoanji Temple features a kare-sansui rock garden with an arrangement of stones and boulders inviting quiet contemplation. Water, one of the main elements of traditional Japanese culture, is represented in the rock garden using raked patterns in the sand to suggest rippling water, symbolizing the sea. The clean beauty of the 15-stone Zen garden will also delight viewers in its design which hides one stone from every angle.