In-Yo

YIN - YANG (IN-YO, Japanese) is one of the most fundamental concepts in East Asian philosophy and at the core represents opposing forces that are in moving harmony with one another. It is not simple about balancing opposites, rather these forces are always in some kind of flux.

The way this is reflected in Japanese landscapes:

Wind + Water

YIN - earth - square

YANG - heaven - circular

In karesansui (枯山水) dry gardens, yin and yang is at full play. Rocks, often grouped in triads, represent (as in Zen) islands, or an animal or mountain (such as Horai, the residence of the eight immortals, as in Buddhist mythology), while the sand or gravel usually represents water. The water flows around the rocks.

An Edo period example that beautifully showcases yin-yang concepts is the stroll garden at Kōraku-en (後楽園) in Okayama.

Borrowed views and layering:

triangulation and asymmetry:

Light and Dark:

A more modern example is the former residence of Prince Asakura in Toykyo:

The ground articulates the same EDO period concepts in a very small scale and in an urban context.