Devionian Botanical Garden

The Kurimoto Japanese Garden's main purpose is to provide a cultural exchange between the Japanese and Canadians. This exchange has created a place for meditation and contemplation, rather than just another pretty garden. The garden is the creation of the designer, the late Tadashi Kubo, Kubo and Associates, Osaka, Japan. His representative Kozo Mitani, Japan implemented it. An attempt is made to idealize or make abstractions of the surrounding nature. There are subtleties left untouched in the garden where visitors are left create images in their own minds. Thus, each person entering and leaving the garden gates forms his or her own interpretation of the garden. The garden is in kaiyou style meaning strolling garden. Great care was taken so that the garden is revealed slowly. The design interprets the vast geography of Alberta and the prairie provinces.
However the design is authentically Japanese while utilizes native and introduced hardy plant species. Reflecting the geography of Alberta while symbolically bringing together the Japanese culture as well as a tad of the aboriginal areas of this part of the world.
The garden is to be enjoyed for its aesthetic values instead of its scientific merits. An overall feeling are authentic Japanese ornaments and structures such as lanterns, pagoda, entrance gate, asumayas (meaning viewing shelters).

The Japanese take geography on a grand scale and shrink it to human proportions in their garden designs. The entrance is located on the highest point of land as in Japan it would be on a mountain.

This makes their work have a sense of being and age. Without this technique, it takes a long time to make the garden look as it does. The entrance gate has been constructed in authentic Japanese style with limited use of nails. Examine the fancy joinery on the large overhead beams.
Within the garden are five authentic stone lanterns that were hand carved from solid granite. Originally these lanterns were utilitarian; they were actually used for lighting before the advent of electricity. A candle or oil lamp was placed in the chamber, and this radiated a dim light. Since the light was dim, lanterns had to be placed close to the edge of the street or path. Today these lanterns are used primarily as ornaments, but may still be used for accent lighting The top of the bell tower has a black ornament on the top. This is called a giboshi that is said to represent the top of a Buddha's head. The 1 500 pound bell symbolizes the bonds of friendship between the University of Alberta and the university founded by Dr. Kurimoto, Nagoya Shoka Diagaku. The goal they share is to foster mutual understanding among Canadians and Japanese. Each time the bell is rung bonds of friendship are strengthened. Some pictures I did not have enough storage to take but within a very small down called Devon there is this botanical garden that is viewed by people from various parts of Canada as well as other lands.