The distinctive shapes of Japan.

The gardening in Japan is vastly different to the rest of the world. They shape trees in their own unique way. In the west we have topiaries, clipped formal hedges, informal gardens, cottage gardens, tropical gardens..... but in Japan it's so different.

An air conditioning unit made to look more attractive by a group of  trees clipped into a mass of rounded shapes.

A private home with three clipped trees.

Another private home with a Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and some shaped Azaleas.

Some neatly clipped small shrubs and a Podocarpus tree in a small garden bed greet the visitor to this public park in Tokyo.