TOULOUSE
The art of niwaki, hanami and karesansui: you’ve got an hour to brush up on your knowledge of the Zen culture of Japan’s legendary gardens. Rest assured, this tour isn’t just for otakus (if you haven’t got the hang of it, you really should come along!).
This one-hour tour is a compendium of legends, philosophy and landscape art. Here, we gently introduce you to the world of Zen. Take in the sight of a line, a rock, and even the emptiness, designed to rest your gaze. The guide will whisper to you about the ancient origins of the symbols that are skilfully distilled in your mind’s eye, as the vegetation is carefully managed in perfect harmony with the seasons. The dry garden, the bridge, the tea pavilion, the lanterns of the dead: the guide will also reveal the secrets of the different aesthetic codes that are brought together here over 7,000 m2.
This garden, created in 1981 in the heart of a completely new business district, is in itself food for thought. What’s more, it’s unique in that, while the landscape designers drew their inspiration from the garden at Katsura’s imperial villa in Kyoto, they took the liberty of incorporating the regional basalt of the Sidobre mountains. Indeed, in the pure tradition of Japanese gardens, no two should be alike. This particularity is perhaps what earned it the title of “Remarkable Garden” in 1993.
Good to know:
– Between 15/06 and 15/09, during red alert periods and when the temperature is 35°C or higher, visits are cancelled.
