Versailles is not a Japanese Garden

The temple garden of Ryon-ji and the Sun king’s garden at Versailles are often posed as opposites with the japanese garden at the good end of the spectrum and Le Notre’s work at the other end. Perhaps this is unfair, after all they were not made with the same motivation as one was built to revere a deity and the other as an aid to enlightenment. Is a comparison between these gardens therefore relevant in a study of garden design where one might argue that any garden that clearly demonstrates the designers intent is a success. Without using the judgmental extremes of good and bad I think there is a value in discussing what the motivation was and the society that produced such different examples of the art of garden design.
It is only in recent times that ornamental gardens have become part of the property of ordinary people in both east and west and historically they were attached to the residence of the princely or wealthy or to religious buildings. Perhaps it would be fairer to compare two gardens from the aristocracies of these two different countries and cultures or perhaps a cloistered monastic structure. Would there be similarity between a French chateau garden or an Italian villa and a royal place in Japan or a zen temple and a Franciscan monastry? Perhaps these comparisons would arrive at the same reasons for the difference when we consider history religion and philosophy and anything else that produces a distinct culture.