The appearance of recycled glass objects placed at Honen-in temple in the Shishigatani district of Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward differs depending on how the sunlight strikes them. (Akari Kamiya)

KYOTO--Glass artist Yukito Nishinaka seemed to be out of his element in wanting to work on a "karesansui" (literally "dry mountain water") garden, typically found at temples, with most having sand, moss and rocks.

But his glass artworks placed along the approach to Honen-in temple in the city’s Sakyo Ward here have turned the sacred path into a traditional garden for relaxation and reflection.

Created under the theme of “the cosmos being connected to the cycle of life,” Nishinaka, 54, a glass artist based in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, made the objects from glass recycled from bottles, attracting attention from home and abroad.

When Nishinaka displayed similar objects at a department store two years ago, the artist thought that a karesansui garden would be at its best when it is presented at a temple. Nishinaka wanted to construct a karesansui garden with glass artworks at a real temple.

The artist said he consulted with Shinsho Kajita, 63, chief priest of Honen-in and an acquaintance of about 20 years, who helped Nishinaka realize his wish.

With the help of a glass bottle manufacturer in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, Nishinaka secured bottles to use as materials for his pieces. In May this year, he completed about 20 pieces of objects whose sizes ranged from as small as a fist to as tall as about 1.8 meters. The objects were placed along the 40-meter-long approach to the temple along with moss and gravel to bring a karesansui theme to it.

The objects are originally pale olive in color, but their appearance changes in color depending on how the sunlight strikes them. Nishinaka said he opted not to remelt the old bottles completely so that the lip, the base and other parts of a bottle are preserved.

“I want people to think also about a sustainable society from recycled glass,” Nishinaka said.

On Nov. 13, a group of 33 people from the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, whose collection boasts more than 50,000 pieces of glass products and other items, visited the temple to see the recycled glass objects. They included museum officials and glass craft collectors.

The visitors took pictures from various angles and asked Nishinaka about how he created the pieces.

Karol Wight, president and executive director of the museum, was impressed by the view. She said that glass and sand used for its production are essentially natural and that the objects matched well with the landscape of the temple.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the artworks change over time, as well as how they are appreciated,” Kajita said.