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Roji leading to the Seigetsu chashitsu at Ise Jingū; typical features include the stepping stones, moss, bamboo gate, and division into outer and inner gardens

Roji (露地), lit. 'dewy ground', is the Japanese term used for the garden through which one passes to the chashitsu for the tea ceremony. The roji acts as a transitional space leading from the entry gate to the teahouse, and generally cultivates an air of simplicity and purification.[1]

Development[edit]

The roji developed during the Momoyama era (1573–1603) as the tea ceremony established itself in Japan.[2] Sen no Rikyū was important in the development of the roji. At his tea house Tai-an, the 'sleeve-brushing pine' gained its name from the garden's diminutive size.[3] For his tea house at Sakai, he planted hedges to obscure the view over the Inland Sea, and only when a guest bent over the tsukubai would he see the view. Rikyū explained his design by quoting a verse by Sōgi.[4][5] Kobori Enshū was also a leading practitioner.[6]

Roji with the Nijiriguchi (Entrance) to the tea house at the Adachi Museum of Art, Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.

Features[edit]

The roji is usually divided into an outer and inner garden, with a machiai (waiting arbour). Use of stone as both a decorative and a functional feature is characteristic of the roji.[7] Typical features include the tsukubai (ablution basin), tōrō (lantern), tobi ishi (stepping stones), and wicket gate.[8][9][10] Ostentatious plantings are generally avoided in preference for moss, ferns, and evergreens, although ume and Japanese maple can be used.[11]

The roji offers guests the opportunity to purify themselves before entering the tea house by washing their hands and mouths with water.

Influence[edit]

Sadler argues that the roji, with its small size, harmonious proportions, and 'simple suggestiveness' served as a model for domestic Japanese courtyard gardens.[12] Tobi ishi, originally placed to protect the garden's moss, eventually took on an aesthetic nature. The stones were placed to slow down the visitors on their way to the tea house and encourage contemplation of the everyday, an enduring feature of Japanese gardens. Additionally, tōrō, originally used to light the path for ceremonies held at night, were soon adopted as decorations for other types of gardens, a practice that continues.[13]

Burakumin[edit]

In the works of Japanese writer Nakagami Kenji, roji, in the sense of "alley", can also be understood as a euphemism for the buraku ghettos, where burakumin people used to live.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nonaka, Natsume (2008). "The Japanese Garden: The Art of Setting Stones". SiteLINES: A Journal of Place. 4 (1): 3. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ^ Nonaka, Natsume (2008). "The Japanese Garden: The Art of Setting Stones". SiteLINES: A Journal of Place. 4 (1): 3. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  3. ^ Kuck, Loraine (1968). The World of the Japanese Garden. Weatherhill. p. 195f.
  4. ^ Sadler, A. L. (1962). Cha-no-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tuttle. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8048-1224-5.
  5. ^ Kuck, Loraine (1968). The World of the Japanese Garden. Weatherhill. p. 196f.
  6. ^ Hayakawa, Masao (1973). The Garden Art of Japan. Weatherhill. pp. 132ff. ISBN 978-0-8348-1014-3.
  7. ^ Nonaka, Natsume (2008). "The Japanese Garden: The Art of Setting Stones". SiteLINES: A Journal of Place. 4 (1): 3. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  8. ^ "Roji". Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Chaniwa". Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Koshikake machiai". Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  11. ^ Kuck, Loraine (1968). The World of the Japanese Garden. Weatherhill. pp. 198f.
  12. ^ Sadler, A. L. (1962). Cha-no-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tuttle. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8048-1224-5.
  13. ^ Nonaka, Natsume (2008). "The Japanese Garden: The Art of Setting Stones". SiteLINES: A Journal of Place. 4 (1): 3. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  14. ^ Cornyetz, Nina (1999). Dangerous Women, Deadly Words. Phallic Fantasy and Modernity in Three Japanese Writers. Stanford University Press. p. 215.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links[edit]

  • Media related to Roji at Wikimedia Commons
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roji

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