ABSTRACT
Great ingenuity is demonstrated in the many different ways of constructing bamboo gates and fences. There are over thirty different kinds of fences, all recognized generally by name. They are somewhat formal and geometrical in design, but the materials employed give them a rustic appearance that blends harmoniously with the gardens. This is quite noticeable by contrast when one comes across a modern garden wall made of concrete. No amount of vines or bushes can give a solid wall the charm of the woven reed or bamboo variety. Ordinarily we do not think of the weaving of fences and of silk patterns as being similar arts. Yet the designs of the fencemaker in Japan will bear worthy comparison with the patterns woven into silk fabrics on the loom. The materials used in making fences are bamboo, rushes, bark, and faggots gathered from the woods.
