Gardening in Japan

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I guess I have a reasonably full picture of "Japanese Gardening" from an historical and aesthetic perspective. But what about "Gardening In Japan?" Does anyone out there in our gardening community know much about the average Joe or Jennie in Japan? Do they have space to garden the way we do, particularly outside the cities? Do they have nursery and gardening centers? Is it the statistically most popular hobby/recreational outlet for the populace the way it is purported to be here in North America?

I have a more accurate picture of this in England, and to a lesser extent on the continent of Europe. But I got to wondering about Japan, and the relationship between the high tradition of gardening and what effect it might have on contemporary folk gardening, if it does exist there.

The search for an "American style of gardening" is fascinating, and we have a landscape that is so diverse, and diverse cultures have brought their styles here and grafted them onto this landscape. I wonder about Japan.

Hey Ruth, is FG's mission really to focus on North America, or is there room for an article of two about everyday fine gardening elsewhere in the world? (The part of the world that has an economy that can sustain gardening as a recreational activity, and not a necessity for survival.)