ThirstyFish

This is a view of the garden at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park. Shofuso is open seasonally and is a must visit if you are in Philadelphia.

Japanese Style Gardens, Nihon Teien, have flexible boundaries, and are often designed to look like miniature natural landscapes. While the Western garden is created with the view from outside the house in mind. The Japanese garden is more concerned with what the garden will look like from inside the house it beautifies.

Inner beauty or outer appearance? Mind or body? Although these are not mutually exclusive, our culture plays role in what we prioritize, just as it influences how we build our gardens. As a friend of mine put it: "it all boils down to how you've been raised".