Description
Book Synopsis100 Japanese Gardens is an ambitious attempt to profile the finest gardens in Japan, while also highlighting lesser known, but equally accomplished landscapes in less-visited parts of the country. A celebration of Japanese landscape design, this book features gardens from Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as from the sub-arctic island of Hokkaido and the semi-tropical islands of Okinawa. Author Stephen Mansfield travelled the length and breadth of Japan on a quest to identify the most impressive gardens in this vast and culturally varied archipelago. His erudition and love of the Japanese garden shines through on every page, making this the perfect primer for travel to Japan or an enjoyable armchair read for gardening enthusiasts. Mansfield's insightful descriptions of each garden examine design concepts and principles, space management, compositional elements, and the iconographic and metaphysical role of Shinto and Buddhist influences. Through his exquisite visuals and engaging stories, we experience Japanese garden designs not merely as landscapes, but as large-scale art installations.
Trade Review"Is it a garden book? A travel guide? Pure eye candy? This visual romp across Japan, which explores some of its most serene and green spaces and includes addresses, visiting hours, and other practical details for each, is all of the above. Locales include the grounds at Shisendo (a 17th-century Kyoto hermitage) and Tokyo's Nezu Shrine, site of the Bunkyo Azalea Festival."
--Publishers Weekly"…the book is far more than a travel guide. It is an ideal read for all lovers of Japanese gardens. Highly recommended!"
--Shakkei Vol. 25 No. 4. Spring 2019"…It would be well worth having if you were going to Japan to view gardens…"
-- Washington Gardener Magazine"…if there's [little room] in my suitcase, I can take Tuttle Publishing's pocket sized
100 Japanese Gardens by photojournalist Stephen Mansfield."
--Hortus Journal
