
Japanese garden fountain with a stone basin
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Small outdoor water fountains are essential garden decorations for creating a beautiful Oriental garden design and backyard landscaping ideas. Tsukubai water fountains are for those who appreciate the natural elegance of Japanese gardens and beautiful garden design, created with simple forms. The Tsukubai water fountain is an excellent opportunity to add an exotic flavor to your front yard and backyard landscaping ideas or create a unique Oriental garden design in a peaceful corner of your garden or backyard, perfect for relaxation and meditation.
A traditional Japanese garden surrounds a tea house. Before the tea ceremony, guests washed their hands and rinsed their mouths, using a water fountain with a small wooden barrel or a stone bowl and a bamboo dipper. The custom was adopted from ancient traditions, when people washed their hands in streams and purified their troughs at shrines before worshipping the gods.
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Beautiful water fountains for elegant front yard and backyard designs
Tsukubai water fountain in Japanese gardens

There are different types of small water fountains and stone bowl designs for creating a Japanese garden: Chōzubachi 手水鉢 Hand Water Basin, Tsukubai 蹲踞 (つくばい) Stooping Basin, Zenigata Tsukubai 銭型蹲踞 (ぜにがたつくばい)Coin Shaped Basin. Tsukubai water fountains, low wash basins used in traditional Japanese tea gardens, can be created of a stone bowl, a bamboo barrel, pebbles, and bamboo sticks. The name originates from the fact that a person has to stoop down to use the water fountain, which has a low basin.
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A large stone with a depression may serve as a Tsukubai water fountain basin. The water should always be running and clean. Sometimes, the water is poured into the basin through a bamboo conduit that regulates the flow of water, depending on the weight of the water flowing into it.
Japanese lanterns, placed nearby and stones on the right and left sides, are often arranged around the tsukubai water fountains to create meaningful and beautiful Japanese garden designs.
Japanese culture places great importance on water features, such as fountains, dry streams, and ponds, in gardens. Japanese garden designs vary in style. Some of them feature dry landscapes with Japanese rocks, pebbles, gravel, and sand. In contrast, others are filled with beautiful water fountains and waterfalls that make simple Oriental garden designs look elegant and sophisticated, offering peaceful backyard landscaping ideas ideal for meditation and relaxation.
Creating Japanese gardens and other oriental gardens is a great activity. Japanese garden ideas bring more joy and an absolute pleasure of enjoying simple forms and natural materials. It is wonderful to see your garden flourish as a result of all your creativity and hard work.
Oriental garden design, yard landscaping ideas

One of the fundamental principles of Oriental garden design is that simple design ideas draw inspiration from nature, which is considered the most beautiful artwork and a great source of inspiration. The Japanese garden design is created with natural materials and the natural environment in mind. Japanese garden design ideas reflect the natural things, creating balance and harmony with your backyard ideas.

Natural and simple Japanese garden design ideas may appear unorganized, but in reality, Oriental garden designs are balanced, adding a touch of nature to your backyard design. Japanese gardens demonstrate a different type of perfection, creating unique and meaningful garden design.

by Ena Russ
11.07.2025
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