| Katsura Imperial Villa was built in the
early seventeenth century by Prince Toshihito, brother of
the Emperor of Japan, as a vacation retreat from the heavy ceremonial duties
of the imperial court. Toshihito hoped to recreate the atmosphere of cultural
refinement that had been achieved by his ancestors as described in the twelfth
century literary masterpiece The Tale of Genji written by Lady Murasaki.
The architecture of the main house at Katsura reflects the traditions of the shoin style with built in cabinets and shelves, sliding doors, tatami mats on the floor, and the tokonoma, a niche in which a hanging scroll and a filled vase indicate the season. Toshihito was influenced as well by the aesthetic sensibilities articulated by the tea master Sen no Rikyu who formulated a version of the tea ceremony that emphasized simplicity and an appreciation for the the natural. In the garden, carefully designed paths lead through a landscape of stones, shrubs, water, and trees, to a series of tea houses each of which displays the outward simplicity of vernacular farm-house design. However, the carefully contrived simplicity belongs to the sukiya style of architecture, a style which attempts with great artfulness to achieve the appearance of naturalness. TO THE TOP OF THIS PAGE |
KATSURA RESOURCES
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