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  Sukiya Living Magazine (JOJG)

Zig-Zag Bridge Myth

This article is about some misinformation about Japanese garden bridges that is often found in badly-written books, on websites, and in public garden brochures.

THE MYTH: Some misguided Westerners claim that evil spirits can only travel in straight lines and that Japanese gardens have zig-zag bridges to prevent evil spirits from moving through them.

THE FACT: Japanese gardens do sometimes feature zig-zag bridges, but the evil spirit story is complete nonsense.  Zig-zag bridges are featured in Japanese gardens partially because they are attractive and because they are interesting to walk over.  There is also a charming story that links zig-zag bridges to Japanese literature and culture.  The zig-zag bridge motif is a natural fit for many of the Japanese arts including gardening.

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