100 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
traveled 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.