How did Japanese garden design change during the Kamakura period?

During the Kamakura period (1192–1333), Japanese garden design underwent a significant shift as creativity began to replace the strict imitation of earlier models. While gardens had previously followed the symmetrical, aristocratic shinden style of the Heian period, the Kamakura era introduced modifications that reflected the changing domestic architecture and the influence of Zen Buddhism.12

Key developments during this period included:

• Classification by Terrain: Gardens were broadly categorized into hill gardens, which featured hills and ponds, and flat gardens, which represented water surfaces like lakes or seas.1
• Symbolism and Spirit: Because the scale of these gardens was often small, the primary intention shifted toward reproducing the spirit of a landscape rather than its literal features. This led to a greater reliance on association and symbolism.1
• Zen Influence: Learned Zen priests began to play a central role in garden design, applying religio-philosophic principles to landscape lore and assigning Buddhistic names to specific rocks within the garden layout.2

These changes marked a move toward more subjective and individualized garden design, setting the stage for the further evolution of Japanese gardening in subsequent periods.21