ZenNiwa
Japanese Garden Design by a Craftsman
Where Emptiness Speaks, and Nature Listens
Meet the Designer
Meet the Garden Designer
I am a Japanese garden designer and builder with 27 years of experience.
Every garden I create is not only designed by hand — it is crafted entirely by hand.
My journey began in Ibaraki, under the guidance of a master gardener who shaped my foundational skills.
Later in Kyoto, I deepened my understanding of traditional garden philosophy and refined my techniques.
Now based in Kagoshima, I create gardens where silence, simplicity, and the soul of nature resonate in harmony.
Each stone is carefully selected. Moss is cultivated with patience.
Every element is placed in tune with the unseen spirit of the space.
To me, a garden is not just a design.
It is a living expression that speaks to the hearts of those who enter.
ZenNiwa is not a brand.
It is my personal philosophy —
a belief in timeless beauty, shaped by human hands.
Selected Works from ZenNiwa
Crafted with Stone, Moss, and Meaning
Signature Gardens & Stonework
Moss and White Gravel
with Natural Steps
with Natural Steps
A modern Japanese garden where natural stone walls in irregular shapes blend harmoniously with a white gravel karesansui (dry landscape).
Stepping stones rest gently on a carpet of moss, while deciduous trees express the passing of seasons throughout the space.
Each stone was carefully hand-laid to preserve its natural texture, and the traditional bamboo fence in the background adds a timeless Japanese character to this contemporary design.
Where Hands Shape Silence and Stones Tell Stories
A modern Japanese garden where carefully-fitted stone walls meet white gravel karesansui, and stepping-stones glide over a velvety moss carpet, tracing the quiet rhythm of the seasons.
Each stone is hand-selected and set with precision; a bamboo fence completes the scene with timeless elegance.
Where Hands Shape Silence and Stones Tell Stories
Would you like this harmony of stone, moss, and stillness in your own space?
Scroll down to learn how we work, or write to me at yurinan0408@gmail.com.
You can also watch the craft in action on my YouTube channel, where I share every step of the building process.