With a history of more than a thousand years, Japanese gardens are authentic exemplifications of the spirit and culture of various eras. Japanese gardens, whose origins are based on Chinese gardens, have undergone various changes over the centuries and many different garden conceptualizations have emerged. The historical background of the Japanese gardens discussed in this study dates back to the first quarter of the sixth century. The principles that emerged with Sakuteiki, the first gardening manual written in the Heian era (794-1185 A.D.), have been shaped by the effects of different periods and currents over the centuries. These diverse garden concepts have also gained an artistic value in the course of their historical development. Expressing the Japanese garden in this context of art has an important place in art literature. Examining the periods of Japanese garden art in chronological order is important in terms of understanding the different types of gardens and the common elements between them. Shintoism, a religion which originated in Japan, as well as the influences of Zen Buddhism have been shaped over the centuries and have an important place in the formation of the foundations of Japanese aesthetics. Ma is another one of the important concepts underlying Japanese aesthetics. It expresses emptiness or space as a word. The Ma concept, with its deep meaning and how it is employed in the compositions to be created, is an important point in terms of understanding the basic elements of Japanese garden art. In this study, the aim is to recount the Japanese garden art periods, the basic elements of Japanese garden art and the understanding of the concept of Ma by means of a descriptive method.
Keywords: The Japanese garden art, Zen Buddhism, Ma, Sakuteik, compositional elements