Your cart is currently empty!
Get Event Reminders…
…twice a month by subscribing to our newsletter
Subscribe using the form in the page footer below.
Your cart is currently empty!
…twice a month by subscribing to our newsletter
Subscribe using the form in the page footer below.
Japanese gardens have been fascinating and enchanting people for thousands of years with their incredible aesthetic appeal and relaxing atmosphere. For a western viewer, no feature better encompasses these attributes than their beautifully designed bridges.
Interestingly enough, however, the bridge did not begin to appear in Japanese gardening until the Heian Period, over 200 years after the conception of the Japanese garden itself. It’s a testament to its design that it has become one of the most important features in Japanese gardening, both for practical reasons and the spiritual meaning behind these structures.
Bridges, of course, have a strong relationship with ponds, streams, and waterways, all of which are important aspects of Japanese gardening. By extension, bridges have become, in their simplest form, a practical tool to move guests from one ‘island’ to another.
Japanese bridges can be built from a variety of materials, such as wood (sori bashi), stone (ishibashi), bamboo, or even earth, and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
However, because Japanese gardening relies on the concept of harmony between man and nature, even the most practical garden accents, such as bridges, must fit flawlessly into their environment. This means that, depending on the size of the waterway, a Japanese bridge may be as plain and simple as an uncut stone slab laid over a stream.
Japanese gardening is designed to engage and be engaged with and the use of bridges is no exception. The true significance of a Japanese bridge is not merely practical but has strong spiritual connotations that help the visitor engage in a more meditative experience while exploring the garden.
The spiritual meanings of Japanese bridges can range from deeply religious sentiments rooted in Buddhism to a more Taoist philosophy inspired by Chinese culture.
The crossing over the bridge symbolizes the journey between the mortal world and the afterlife and the cleansing of one’s worldly burdens that follow. Through this journey, the individual experiences a symbolic sense of purity, inner peace and unity with nature.
With the rising influence of Zen, crossing the bridge was also interpreted in a broader spiritual sense that placed more emphasis upon the journey between the world of man and the world of nature. This symbolism shares many similarities with the directly religious interpretations, especially with the concept of man travelling to a higher plane of existence. In this case, the higher plane is the natural world, as opposed to a spirit realm.
Perhaps the most iconic of all Japanese bridges is the arched red bridge or Guzei. The bridge itself is laden with the same symbolism as any other, yet the color red has spiritual connotations all on its own.
Red is an important color in Japanese culture, and in this case, it represents wisdom, transformation and all that is sacred. Red is also a color heavily intertwined with Zen, which further encourages the individual to reject their attachment to physical things on their journey across the bridge.
With both its structure and its color, the Guzei offers the individual a spiritual experience that works on multiple levels and encourages positive growth, spiritual change, and transformative experiences.
Japanese bridges, as with the Japanese gardens as a whole, are designed to offer a meditative and self-reflective experience. Of course, not every single individual who experiences a Japanese garden will have extensive knowledge of Buddhist or Zen philosophies, and you may not feel transported onto a higher plane of existence as you cross a Japanese bridge. However, Japanese bridges are masterpieces of design and exist to help encourage the visitor to feel at one with nature.
Most importantly, whether it be physical or spiritual, the Japanese bridge is symbolic of a journey. The subjectivity of this is key, as it allows for each visitor to experience this journey in whatever way they choose.
James Stedman works for Japeto, a family-owned business which offers an extensive selection of handpicked, high-quality Japanese gardening tools developed for professional and amateur gardeners, such as the hori hori knife, trowels, and rakes.
Logging in to comment gives you more features, but it is not required.
Discover why birds love berried shrubs for winter – Winterberry, Mountain Ash, Cranberry, Coralberry, Tartan Dogwood, Snowberry, Serviceberry, Chokeberry and Elderberry – to provide essential nutrients, calories, and visuals your garden needs!
The Canada anemone flower is an easy to maintain, dependable and hardy perennial ground cover that produces lovely white buttercup flowers.
Discover the many talents of hemp, from fiber to CBD, and learn about the legal landscape and regulations for cultivating hemp at home.
When to plant trees? Should it be spring, or should it be fall? It’s a question many new gardeners ask themselves. And with good reason.
Protect your family and pets from dangerous plants. Learn the names of poisonous plants and take necessary safety steps to prevent accidental poisoning.
Dahlia plants store food and energy on their roots and underground stems called tubers. They look like sweet potatoes.
Explore the Top 10 North American Gardens Worth Traveling For on a unique armchair tour with the OOSGC! Discover the history and design of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, and Reford Gardens, or explore other noteworthy gardens from Las Ponzas to the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Stop at this month's fascinating Myrmecophila galeottiana orchid to learn about its unique relationship with ants, then explore Vallarta Botanical Garden's great diversity of other orchids!
The Christmas cactus has few equals for its odd beauty or for the number of questions from frustrated owners about its care and culture.
Discover the best method for storing bulbs and tubers – whether to wash them thoroughly or let them dry with a bit of dirt for better preservation. Learn more!
In this article, we will focus mostly on these types of dogwoods and provide suggestions to help you select the right dogwood for your setting.
GardeningCalendar.ca gets some funding from advertisers. If you click on links and advertisements at no cost to you, the site may receive a small commission that helps fund its operation.
© 2025 J&S Calendars Ltd.