karikomi　刈込

KEY WORD :　architecture / gardens

Lit. pruning. The term refers to the clipped hedge or clipped plants common in Japanese gardens. Karikomi is divided into small karikomi, kokarikomi 小刈込, and large karikomi, ookarikomi 大刈込. Ookarikomi refers to bushes or trees planted close together and pruned so as make a single hedge or series of hedges. This technique dates from the late 15c and was particularly popular in gardens of the late 16 and 17c. In the late Muromachi period clipped hedges were often combined with stones, but by the Momoyama period ookarikomi emerged as an independent design element. Ookarikomi are divided into wave namikarikomi 波刈込, layered *dankarikomi 段刈込, mountain yamakarikomi 山刈込, fence magakikarikomi 籬刈込 and flat hirakarikomi 平刈込 styles depending on their appearance or function. Ookarikomi may serve as the compositional focus of garden, as a background element (often referring to the borrowed landscape *shakkei 借景 of a distant mountain by assuming an analogous form), or as a screen to block out the view of some unwanted object. In addition to the semi-abstract wave and mountain designs, ookarikomi may replace rocks to represent such standard design and symbolic elements as the crane island *tsurujima 鶴島, tortoise island *kamejima 亀島, and treasure boat *houraibune 蓬莱舟. Ookarikomi reached its apotheosis in 17c gardens at Daichiji 大池寺 in Shiga prefecture and Raikyuuji 頼久寺 in Okayama prefecture, both attributed to Kobori Enshuu 小堀遠州 (1579-1647), where massive ookarikomi form the main focus of the gardens. The decline of ookarikomi in the 18c was brought about by the rise of kokarikomi. Kokarikomi refers to individual bushes or trees which are trimmed into round marukarikomi 丸刈込 or rectangular kakukarikomi 角刈込 shapes. Typically ookarikomi gardens feature a hillside covered with carefully trimmed azaleas, tsutsuji 躑躅 and satsuki 五月. Good examples include the gardens at Chishaku-in 智積院 and Sanzen-in 三千院, both in Kyoto. In some cases, small trimmed plants are placed together with rock groupings. Among the shrubs used for both ookarikomi and kokarikomi, camellias tsubaki 椿 are not nearly as common as azaleas. For trees, evergreens are most common, but deciduous tree are also used. The flat-topped pines at Ritsurin kouen 栗林公園 in Kagawa prefecture, offer a rare example of trimmed pines, usually used as kokarikomi, pruned together to form an ookarikomi. Some gardens such as Entsuuji 圓通寺 in Kyoto, use both ookarikomi and kokarikomi.

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