The perfection of a large and elaborate garden in Japan will often consist in the number and diversity of these views, contrived so as to preserve unbroken the unity of the whole composition. Such scenes include not only the contours and features of the grounds themselves, but in many cases, the external prospects. Where ever possible they are made suggestive of famous natural views celebrated in poetry and romance. And in this connection, a charm attaches to the mere employment of certain numbers. Eight is a favourite number for garden prospects, in allusion to the Hak-kei (Hakkei), or Eight Views, for which certain favoured landscapes in Japan are famed.
