2025-26 Winter Lecture Series – LECTURE THREE

Zoom lecture by Yoko Kawaguchi.
“The Gardens and Sacred Stones at Shinto Shrines. “

Garden culture in Japan has long been associated with Buddhist temples. However, it is Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion, which incorporates the reverence of sacred stones among its various forms of worship. Whether such stones seen at Shinto shrines can be described as a type of ‘proto-garden’, depending on one’s definition of a garden. On the other hand, there are Shinto shrines which are renowned for their designed gardens which fit a modern definition of a garden. Yoko’s talk will look at various Shinto shrines famous for their sacred stones, as well as shrines with celebrated decorative gardens.

Yoko is a freelance writer and cultural historian specialising in the relationship between Japan and the West. Brought up in the United States, Canada and Japan, she lectures on Japanese garden history, as well as on the reception of Japanese culture abroad, Her publications include Japanese Zen Gardens and the recently republished Authentic Japanese Gardens.

Registration details are being sent to members in the December e-Newsletter. For further details email chair@jgs.org.uk