Title: Katsura Imperial Villa
Author: Tomoaki Ueda
Date of Image: Taken on 10 July 2006
Date of Villa Completion: Early 17th century
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Image Dimensions: 1,600 × 1,200 (528 KB)
Description: Situated in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan, the Katsura Imperial Villa is an imperial residence resembling the true meaning of the Japanese view of wabi-sabi, the beauty of the all natural. The image I selected is the stark, natural exterior of one of the many buildings on the property. A large amount of the buildings on the property feature the raised main entrances off of the ground, as seen in this image which are functional, but they can also symbolize a sense of grandeur when entering a raised home. A fascinating feature that this building has is the prominent stone walkway which leads directly into the home. This symbolizes the unity and seamless transition from nature to life in this villa. One of the reasons for this villa’s distinct beauty is due to the fact that it does not conform to the typical Western beauty standards of symmetric lines and clean-cut plans for the site. Although not shown in this image, this building and the landscape are not perfectly symmetric surrounds a grand, organic, asymmetrical lake at the innermost, central point of the villa. Not only does this signify the the interconnection between nature, beauty, and life at home, but it also highlights the Japanese world view of wabi-sabi. The world is not perfect and symmetrical, so villas and images like these represent the true beauty we can see.
References:
Licensing Credit:
| Katsura Imperial Villa 桂離宮 | |
| Date | Taken on 10 July 2006 |
| Source | https://web.archive.org/web/20161014051647/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/28086526 |
| Author | ☆Tomoaki Ueda☆ |
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