|
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.
