There is a tiny #Japanesegarden in the backyard of the #MuséeGuimet in #Paris. The museum is about Asian art. Its founder Émile Guimet was an industrialist who, in 1876, traveled the Far East, buying up objects like Chinese porcelain, Buddhist statues, and all sorts of Japanese art.

In 2001 a #JGarden was added in the backyard of the historic Hôtel d'Heidelbach, an annex building. The museum's introduction smacks a bit of culturalism (too much talk about harmony), but the garden is lovely.

In 1904, #Düsseldorf saw the first #JGarden in Germany at the Internat. Art and Great Garden Fair. The organizers wanted to hire someone Japanese to design it but failed. So they took a photo of a garden in Tokyo from Josiah #Conder’s book on #Japanesegardens and rebuilt it. A strange birdhouse had to replace a lantern!

For the restaurant, the organizers hired Japanese waitresses. They wore #kimonos for the authenticating effect - see the visitors staring down at them! The imperialist gaze…

Due to the world's fairs in the late 19th century showcasing #JapaneseGardens, the genre was fashionable. Shops and fairs often took up #JGarden ornaments for advertising. One striking example is the Chicago Auto Show of 1916! The organizers branded the decoration as Japanese, but it looked rather Chinese. #日本庭園