Visual Effect of Modern Buildings on a Traditional Japanese Garden

Abstract

Even though heritage gardens have been preserved successfully in Japan, these gardens, especially the ones in Tokyo, have been surrounded by modern high-rise buildings that have entered the scenery of the gardens dramatically. This situation has become an issue from the perspective of cultural heritage preservation. This paper aimed to define the effect of modern buildings on a Japanese heritage garden called Hama-rikyu Gardens in the context of user perception by a questionnaire on site. Results indicated that the modern buildings should be eliminated from the scenery of the garden in the future since the participants preferred unspoiled views.