11:550:403 Japanese Gardens Within Cultural Context

New course in Environmental Planning & Design

11:550:403 Japanese Gardens Within Cultural Context (3)
Seiko Goto
Fall 2009 - MTh 10:55-12:15 PM

Course description: Since Japan was considered to be the end of the silk road, many aspects of its culture were originally introduced from China, Korea, and other Asian countries. This course will investigate not only the history of Japanese gardens but also the characteristics of other Japanese art through gardens.

There are two aspects to this course: The first is a series of lectures in which different style of Japanese architecture and gardens are introduced. Topics include public and private space; religion; as well as ideology and Modern Landscape Architecture designs in the United States. The second part of this course will study the historical, cultural and political background that influenced the garden designs examining various other art disciplines, such as painting, crafts, and literature. The final objective of this course is not only to introduce Japanese gardens, but also to bring about an understanding of the similarity and differences between other Asian cultures and the role of Japanese gardens in North America. Each lecture will be followed up with assigned readings.