Well into the 19th century, Japan was a country closed off to most of the rest of the world. People in Europe didn't know much about this foreign country, so instead they pictured it as one of the most exotic and strange places imaginable. Once the country opened up, these images were replaced by real and tangible cultural exchanges. In the 19th century, respresentations of Japanese culture - like their meticulous gardens - became a mainstay in Austria, and soon diplomatic and cultural bonds between the two countries were forged. 

The Japaneum, a small museum inside Rabenstein Castle in Styria, tells the story of the emergence of this cultural cross-pollination.