Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is one of the oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens outside Japan. It is a blend of the ancient hill-and-pond style and the more recent stroll-garden style, in which various landscape features are gradually revealed along winding paths.

The garden features artificial hills contoured around a pond, a waterfall, and an island, along with carefully placed rocks. Architectural elements include wooden bridges, stone lanterns, a viewing pavilion, a Shinto shrine, and a dramatic vermilion-colored wooden torii.

History and Design of the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

Highlights

the Japanese Garden covered in snow
A view of the torii and wooden bridge in January. Photo by Antonio M. Rosario.
a red Japanese maple leaf
Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Photo by Blanca Begert.
purple irises alongside a pond
Iris ensata (Japanese irises), in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Photo by Jean-Marc Grambert.
a wooden shrine in a garden
The small shinto shrine in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Photo by Blanca Begert.
white cherry blossoms on bare branches
Prunus ‘Snow Goose’ in April. Photo by Blanca Begert.

Learn More

Momijigari: Autumn in the Japanese Garden
Cherry Trees in Japanese Folklore
A Japanese Tool Kit for Any Garden
A Japanese-Style Backyard Garden in Brooklyn
Japanese-Style Gardens

Image, top of page: Rebecca Bullene