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The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (www.morikami.org) began humbly approximately 100 years ago as a farming community.  The name of the original community - the Yamato Colony - also inspired the name for a major thoroughfare in Boca Raton, Florida, i.e., Yamato Road.  In fact, the facility contains gravesites marking the resting places of family members.

 

A visit to this location promises no lack of beauty, Japanese style.  The gardens and landscapes are dazzling in their simplicity, especially the rock gardens.  And the curators and developers of the facility have utilized the different rock garden styles to highlight the history of Japanese culture.  There is an abundance of water in ponds, lakes, and small cascades, which help the visitor understand the key role water plays in Japanese philosophy, especially in zen buddhism.

Thanks for viewing. Comments welcome.

I have no idea what that sculptural object is which I probably should know after living in Japan as long as I have. It's smooth, orderly, geometrical look contrasts beautifully with the tangle of nature that surrounds it. I will say that I think you have captured something central to the Japanese spirit. The Japanese don't really like their nature raw and wild but prefer it without its threatening aspects and with an imposed sense of order.

A gateway to the hereafter, perhaps? This is a very beautiful monument and setting.