tsukuri-izumi 作り泉

Lit. "constructed spring." The artificial watercourse built to conduct spring water into a garden. The term, found in the 11th-century garden manual *Sakuteiki 作庭記, is generally used for Heian and Kamakura period gardens. Specifically, tsukurimizu 作り水 refers to the technique of placing rocks around a natural spring to create a simple fountain. In some cases a drainboard and bower are also built over the spring.