Tsubo-niwa

Courtiers around a tsubo-niwa, illustration from The Tale of Genji, Heian period (circa 1130)

Tsubo-niwa were originally found in the interior courtyards of Heian period palaces, designed to give a glimpse of nature and some privacy to the residents of the rear side of the building. These were as small as one tsubo - roughly 3.3 square meters.[5]

During the Edo period, merchants began building small gardens in the space behind their shops - which faced the street - and their residences, located behind the shop. These tiny gardens were meant to be seen, but not entered, and usually featured a stone lantern, a water basin, stepping stones and a few plants, arranged in the then-fashionable cha-niwa (tea[house]-garden) style.[5]

Tsubo-niwa gained greater popularity in the early 21st century,[6] and can be found in many Japanese residences, hotels, restaurants, and public buildings.[5] Multistory and underground interior spaces present difficulties for tsubo-niwa cultivation; artificial lighting, anidolic lighting (using fiberoptic cables to pipe in sunlight), and a combination of both have been used to mitigate the problems posed by this.[2]

A Kyoto machiya (merchant's house), structural model. Tsubo-niwa between shop space (right) and residence.

An Edo period tsubo-niwa with many stepping-stones

An Edo period tsubo-niwa, with well in foreground

A 20th-century functional tsubo-niwa; the well has been replaced by a tap. A roof gutter also drains here.

A zensai-niwa in Kyoto, 2013

A modern mise-niwa; potted plant, columnar basalt, gravel.

A tori-niwa in a historic machiya, 2013.

A tsubo-niwa in a Kyoto temple

Tsubo-niwa are used to provide a touch of nature, connect the outdoors to the indoors, and make an indoor space seem larger;[6] they can also act as light wells.[1] Several tsubo-niwa are used to provide ventilation in an otherwise small home, allowing a breeze to blow through the living space.[6] They may also contain a basin,[1] traditionally used for temizu, hand-cleansing.

Tsubo-niwa are often set up where they can be seen by home occupants while relaxing or eating dinner.[6] Commercial restaurants and eateries, such as ramen shops, may also have tsubo-niwa, placed so that guests can see them while eating.[9][10]

Tsubo-niwa use less space than larger gardens and are cheaper to build. As of 2012, the cost is in the low hundred thousand yen (low thousands of US dollars) for professional installation. Do-it-yourself kits cost a tenth as much and upwards.[6] They also take less time to maintain; keeping a traditional Japanese garden is considered a meditative act.[1]

A shady tsubo-niwa with a moss lawn and a chōzu-bachi (手水鉢) (lit., "hand water basin")

A larger garden surrounded by a low kirime-en; pale gravel, feature stones, a rain chain, and a planting of bamboo, ferns, grasses, and a creeping plant with small round leaves

Tsubo-niwa typically contain a functional tōrō lantern and a chōzu-bachi (water basin), such as a tsukubai. They may also contain sculptures. Much of the area may be filled with gravel, set with larger stones, and carefully raked and kept free of weeds. Plants may be very minimal, and surrounded by stones,[1] or the whole area may be covered with vegetation. Shade-loving plants are needed, as a narrow courtyard will seldom be in direct sunlight. Dwarf plants may also be used.[11] A few stems of bamboo are common, but not ubiquitous.[1] Artificial plants are also sometimes used.[6]

Totekiko, a famous tsubo-niwa garden, does not use vegetation.

A good example of a Tsubo-niwa from the Meiji period can be found in the villa of Murin-an in Kyoto.[12] Totekiko is a famous courtyard garden using no vegetation at all.[13]