While many famous gardens in Europe look planned, the basic principle of Japanese gardens is reproduction of nature. Water, stones and plants are arranged to complement each other and represent features of nature such as mountains and the sea, enabling visitors to enjoy these symbols of the vastness of nature. Of the famous Japanese gardens extant today, those of Buddhist temples developed as manifestations of the philosophy of respecting nature and express the Japanese reverence for harmony with nature.

Evergreen trees are an important element of such gardens as they symbolize all that is eternal and unchanging. At the same time, seasonal changes convey the passage of time and the idea of an underlying powerful life force. In particular, new growth in spring gives the gardens a refreshing infusion of nature.

At Saihoji in Kyoto, known as the "moss temple," Koganeike (golden pond) is surrounded by over a hundred varieties of mosses including velvet and cedar moss. The Zen monk Muso Kokushi, famed for his landscaping talents, designed this garden in 1339, for strolling and as an ideal place for philosophical meditation. The moss that started growing as the temple fell into disrepair in the late Edo period (1603-1867) was complemented by a variety of evergreen trees that rejuvenated the garden, returning it to its former lush state.