Turning Japanese

Fancy a day spent savouring the oriental beauty of Japan? Strolling past ornamental fountains and over formal bridges, enjoying the delights of pagoda and teahouse, tripping over Mount Fuji?

Er, Mount Fuji? Well, yes, a little one. In fact, everything else is little too - a scaled-down Japan in John Tordoff's 80ft x 22ft back garden. And to get there you have to travel to the far east - Hackney, east London. Actor John has spent seven years transforming the urban plot into something resembling a sushi restaurant mural.

"I felt I wanted a new challenge, an outlet that's satisfying," he says. "People round here think the whole thing is extraordinary."

So do the visitors who come from all over the country to see his work, as part of the National Gardens Scheme. He's open today, and last year 162 people squeezed in, despite a typical English rainstorm. "I wasn't very optimistic when the day arrived," he recalls. "We'd had a glorious summer, but then it bucketed it down. However, all these people turned up and walked round getting saturated. I couldn't believe it."

Today he hopes even more people will pass through his gate. "The garden has progressed a bit since last year," he says. "I'm very pleased with it."

What visitors will discover is an elaborate plot which John, 57, has transformed from rough sketches.

"It's divided into two sections," he explains. "The part by the house, which I worked on first, is based on a formal Italian garden, with Mediterranean plants."

To reach the oriental section at the top end involves crossing a small Japanese-style iron bridge which straddles an informal pond. The pond itself flows into next door's garden through a gap in the dividing wall.

In spite of the close attention to detail, John has never actually visited Japan - "too expensive," he says. Instead he gains inspiration from visiting similarly influenced gardens around Britain.

Inevitably, creating his oriental oasis has been quite time- consuming, but John, by his own admission, doesn't get much call as an actor. "I do have quite a bit of time to devote to the garden," he says. "Given the chance, I'm out there all day. There's a lot of hard labour involved."

John is naturally proud of his achievements and plans to open the garden for one more day this summer, on August 18.

"I really value people coming to see my work," he says. "Gardening is a creative pursuit, but it can be terribly isolating. I'm like a painter exhibiting his pictures. It means I get feedback."

John's garden is at 17a Navarino Road, London E8. It is open today and on August 18 from noon-6pm. Admission: pounds 1; children, 50p. Call 0171 254 5622 for details.

Details of John's garden appear with 3,500 others in the Gardens Of England And Wales handbook, published by the National Gardens Scheme, price pounds 3.50.

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