Park Road ‘Hardly A Major Issue’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32396, 8 September 1970, Page 1

Park Road ‘Hardly A Major Issue’

One of Japan’s top landscape architects, Mr K. Nakajima, who designed the landscaping of Expo 70, dismissed Christchurch’s park-road issue yesterday as hardly a major problem.

Coming from a nation with a population of 102 million and intense pressure on land, he said that by Japan’s standards the park road would not be a major issue. In Japan the problem was to build expressways without interfering With people because there was such a large copulation and so little available land. ' Nevertheless, Mr Nakajima,

whose visit is being sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a concern for conservation.

Density of population and industry cause heavy pollution in parts of Japan. In some cities, he says, trees are hosed down to wash their leaves. In other public parks and gardens soil is replaced and enriched because of pol lution. Series Of Lectures Visiting New Zealand for 12 days (and Australia for four weeks) to give a series of lectures on Japanese gardens, Mr Nakajima said that these countries had been chosen for his visit by the Japanese Government because of 'dose economic ties. This was | one step towards greater cul jtural understanding.

“And so far I am surprised at the interest in New Zea-

land,” he said. “I even find some New Zealanders with their own Japanese gardens which they are growing in their own way.” Mr Nakajima says one reason why Japanese cities appear ugly to Westerners is because the tradition is foi small back gardens, on to which a living room may look. These gardens are often not visible from the street. Natural Scene

A Japanese garden, he explained, is a compact adapta tion of the natural scene Western people, however, made front gardens and many large public gardens. “In this respect we in Japan will have to learn from Western countries, and perhaps New Zealand people can learn more about the Japanese idea of-a back garden,” Mr Naka jima said.

The wide open spaces of parks and gardens In Christchurch impressed the Japanese landscaper, who commented on the large number of trees and lawns in the city He visited the Botanic Gardens and other parks yester day. Love Of Gardens

He considers that in spite of the difference in cultures between New Zealanders and Japanese, there is a common feeling and love of gardens. And he is keen to answer any questions on making and managing a Japanese garden. Mr Nakajima is president of Consolidated Garden Research, Ltd, is a registered consulting engineer and a member of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architects.

He is frequently consulted by local government and other agencies.