The Japanese stepping stone path, arguably one of the most essential elements in a Japanese garden design, is not just a pathway but a journey. It guides the viewer through the garden, revealing its beauty and inviting exploration. 

The ultimate goal of Japanese garden paths is to lead a person towards a particular area of interest or focal point within the outdoor space. They invite visitors to pay attention and focus, ensuring that every step they take creates a real sense of presence and mindfulness. 

Japanese gardens generally have at least two styles of stone paths. One uses Japanese stepping stones (Tobi-ishi), and the other is a broader, more formal-looking path that translates to “stone carpet” (Nobedan). 

When creating a Japanese stone path, we recommend using our best-selling Japanese stepping stones. These stones will add a curvaceous point of interest and more functionality to your garden design. If you’d like to know how to create a Japanese garden, follow our steps below.

How to create a Japanese garden

1. Mark and measure the area

First, you should mark out the area and decide on the shape of your desired design, playing with different patterns and curvature until you achieve the effect and aesthetics you want.

When digging the area out, measuring the depth of the stepping stones is essential. Doing so will ensure the stones are level with the grass, allowing you to mow around the path effectively.

2. Dry lay the Japanese stepping stones

Dry laying the stones is essentially a trial run of your garden path design before finalising things. 

Completing this step will ensure you have enough Japanese garden stones for the intended design without running out. You will also be able to determine the length and width of the Japanese path, allowing you to change things up should the design need any tweaks or corrections. 

We recommend noting down the decided patterns and taking photos at this stage before laying them properly.

3. Laying weed membrane

Laying a weed membrane is a vital step many garden enthusiasts forgo or forget about. 

The garden membrane will ward off weeds, ensuring they don’t grow between the Japanese stepping stones and ruin your design's colours, clean lines and aesthetics. Once you’ve laid the garden membrane, place the Japanese stones in your pre-decided pattern using a mortar bed of your choice. 

4. Sowing grass seed

At this stage, you can begin sowing grass seed to your existing lawn if you wish to achieve the effect of grass growing around the Japanese stepping stones, making them appear to almost float on your lawn. 

Another option is to leave the cement mix on show, giving your Japanese garden path a rustic look that will weather over time; the choice is yours! 

Once this step is completed, you can sit back, grab the saké, and finally enjoy your stunning new finished project!

About our Japanese stepping stones 

Gardenstone’s Japanese stepping stones are handmade, reconstituted stone products designed to appear nonuniform. They are perfect for creating a winding path through the garden, achieving a captivating and visually stunning garden design.

The shape was inspired by the traditional stepping stones used in ancient Japanese gardens, which were associated with creating a space of calm and tranquillity. Now, they are a popular choice amongst many UK gardeners. The surface of the Japanese stepping stone is riven, and the edges are irregular. Their width is also irregular, with an average length of 500mm.

If you’d like help with any of our steps to creating a Japanese garden or more Japanese garden ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact our team or browse our extensive blog page for more inspiration and information!And don’t forget to share your Japanese garden designs with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!