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Illusory Dwellings: Aesthetic Meditations in Kyoto
Essays on the nature, creation, and presentation of art, craft , and architecture in Japan, springing from the author’s experiences in Kyoto.
Illusory Dwellings is not a guide concerning what to see in Kyoto, but a philosophical meditation on how to travel and observe in this capital of traditional Japanese art.
Both intimate and scholarly, the book accompanies the reader on visits to famed gardens like Ryōan-ji, investigates the complex symbolism of the tea ceremony and the important role of the tea room, reveals the beauty of Japanese cuisine, and delves into the world of contemporary ceramics. It also provides context for the tensions and harmony between traditional and modern forms of art and craft in Kyoto and throughout Japan, and contrasts these with how they are received at home versus their treatment by Western museums in modernist contexts.
Altogether this is an erudite and provocative analysis of artist and observer, a book to shape the reader’s aesthetic worldview and provide numerous occasions for discussion and debate. With over 50 black and white photographs.
Illusory Dwellings is not a guide concerning what to see in Kyoto, but a philosophical meditation on how to travel and observe in this capital of traditional Japanese art.
Both intimate and scholarly, the book accompanies the reader on visits to famed gardens like Ryōan-ji, investigates the complex symbolism of the tea ceremony and the important role of the tea room, reveals the beauty of Japanese cuisine, and delves into the world of contemporary ceramics. It also provides context for the tensions and harmony between traditional and modern forms of art and craft in Kyoto and throughout Japan, and contrasts these with how they are received at home versus their treatment by Western museums in modernist contexts.
Altogether this is an erudite and provocative analysis of artist and observer, a book to shape the reader’s aesthetic worldview and provide numerous occasions for discussion and debate. With over 50 black and white photographs.
- GenresNonfictionJapanArtTravel
184 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 23, 2024
Illusory Dwellings: Aesthetic Meditations in Kyoto by Allen S. Weiss offers a unique, philosophical exploration of how to experience the richness of Kyoto’s artistic and cultural heritage. Rather than providing a traditional guidebook filled with recommendations on what to see or do, Weiss delves deeply into the significance of observing art, architecture, cuisine, and ritual in ways that go beyond mere tourism. By weaving in personal reflections and academic insights, Weiss constructs a lens through which readers can engage with Kyoto’s aesthetics in a meditative and transformative manner.
The book spans various topics, including tea ceremonies, gardens, and contemporary ceramics, with a particular focus on the interplay between traditional Japanese forms and modernist interpretations, both in Japan and abroad. Weiss’s reflections on the tea ceremony, for instance, emphasise its contradictions—between the simplicity of the ritual and the value of the objects used. This complexity reflects the broader tensions that characterise many of Japan’s artistic practices, where wabi-sabi aesthetics contrast sharply with Western ideas of modernism.
Weiss’s writing invites readers to appreciate the subtle beauty and intricacies of Japanese culture, encouraging them to see art and everyday objects with renewed attention. The detailed discussions of wabi-sabi and mono no aware—the appreciation of the transient—are particularly resonant. His ability to convey these aesthetic principles in ways that both challenge and inform the reader makes the book intellectually engaging while also accessible to those less familiar with Japanese cultural concepts.
What distinguishes Illusory Dwellings is its capacity to cultivate a sense of cultural exchange. Weiss emphasises the need for travellers and art enthusiasts to cultivate mindfulness and humility, recognising that aesthetic experiences are deeply embedded in specific cultural contexts. His thoughtful critique of how Japanese ceramics and other art forms are often misunderstood or underappreciated in Western settings provides a fascinating commentary on the global misinterpretation of cultural traditions. He explains how to appreciate the nuanced, seasonal flavours of kaiseki cuisine, noting that “one needs to adjust one’s culinary palette both across cultures and within culinary hierarchies in any specific culture.” He frequently contrasts Japanese and French craftsmanship, art and cuisine and so the reader unexpectedly learns about artistry from both countries.
Despite its refined subject matter, Illusory Dwellings is refreshingly unpretentious, welcoming readers of all backgrounds to partake in its reflections on beauty and culture. Far from intimidating or elitist, Weiss’s writing invites participation at any level, making clear that true appreciation doesn’t require mastery. As he writes, “Even if one cannot manage the required ritualized gestures or adopt the decorous ceremonial attitude, even if linguistic incapacity does not permit the appropriate form of participation, a heightened state of mindfulness and solicitude is a form of grace available to all.” This openness makes the book accessible to anyone willing to engage with the world more thoughtfully.
Ultimately, Illusory Dwellings is more than an art book or travel essay—it is a philosophical guide to engaging with the world, and not just Kyoto, with heightened aesthetic awareness. Weiss encourages readers to transform their understanding of beauty, not by seeking new travel destinations, but by learning how to see and appreciate the world around them with new eyes. It’s a book that calls for action—specifically, the action of sharpening your perception. After reading the detailed section on pottery, for instance, I found myself visiting a local museum exhibit on Gauguin’s ceramics, experiencing them as if through a new lens. I even picked up a lidded pot from one of Australia’s oldest pottery studios, and suddenly, this book had me appreciating the artistry in my own surroundings, far from Kyoto.
Provided by Stone Bridge Press for review.
The book spans various topics, including tea ceremonies, gardens, and contemporary ceramics, with a particular focus on the interplay between traditional Japanese forms and modernist interpretations, both in Japan and abroad. Weiss’s reflections on the tea ceremony, for instance, emphasise its contradictions—between the simplicity of the ritual and the value of the objects used. This complexity reflects the broader tensions that characterise many of Japan’s artistic practices, where wabi-sabi aesthetics contrast sharply with Western ideas of modernism.
Weiss’s writing invites readers to appreciate the subtle beauty and intricacies of Japanese culture, encouraging them to see art and everyday objects with renewed attention. The detailed discussions of wabi-sabi and mono no aware—the appreciation of the transient—are particularly resonant. His ability to convey these aesthetic principles in ways that both challenge and inform the reader makes the book intellectually engaging while also accessible to those less familiar with Japanese cultural concepts.
What distinguishes Illusory Dwellings is its capacity to cultivate a sense of cultural exchange. Weiss emphasises the need for travellers and art enthusiasts to cultivate mindfulness and humility, recognising that aesthetic experiences are deeply embedded in specific cultural contexts. His thoughtful critique of how Japanese ceramics and other art forms are often misunderstood or underappreciated in Western settings provides a fascinating commentary on the global misinterpretation of cultural traditions. He explains how to appreciate the nuanced, seasonal flavours of kaiseki cuisine, noting that “one needs to adjust one’s culinary palette both across cultures and within culinary hierarchies in any specific culture.” He frequently contrasts Japanese and French craftsmanship, art and cuisine and so the reader unexpectedly learns about artistry from both countries.
Despite its refined subject matter, Illusory Dwellings is refreshingly unpretentious, welcoming readers of all backgrounds to partake in its reflections on beauty and culture. Far from intimidating or elitist, Weiss’s writing invites participation at any level, making clear that true appreciation doesn’t require mastery. As he writes, “Even if one cannot manage the required ritualized gestures or adopt the decorous ceremonial attitude, even if linguistic incapacity does not permit the appropriate form of participation, a heightened state of mindfulness and solicitude is a form of grace available to all.” This openness makes the book accessible to anyone willing to engage with the world more thoughtfully.
Ultimately, Illusory Dwellings is more than an art book or travel essay—it is a philosophical guide to engaging with the world, and not just Kyoto, with heightened aesthetic awareness. Weiss encourages readers to transform their understanding of beauty, not by seeking new travel destinations, but by learning how to see and appreciate the world around them with new eyes. It’s a book that calls for action—specifically, the action of sharpening your perception. After reading the detailed section on pottery, for instance, I found myself visiting a local museum exhibit on Gauguin’s ceramics, experiencing them as if through a new lens. I even picked up a lidded pot from one of Australia’s oldest pottery studios, and suddenly, this book had me appreciating the artistry in my own surroundings, far from Kyoto.
Provided by Stone Bridge Press for review.
September 3, 2024
Illusory Dwellings by Allen S Weiss presents a way into appreciating not only Kyoto and Japan but any place you might visit or live for a time. Less travelogue and more a perspective on life and how it is lived through aesthetic practice, whether that practice is architecture, gardening, craft, or traditional practices.
I have only been to Japan twice and never to Kyoto, so I didn't come to this expecting a new way to appreciate a place I already knew but rather I came with the hope of understanding how better to look beyond the surface of any place I might travel or have traveled. And I definitely was rewarded for my interest.
I certainly gained a better appreciation of Japanese culture, of why some things are done as they are. Yet the meditations, as Weiss calls them, also offers the reader ways to approach locales both known and unknown to them. I went back and reread some of the passages about the tea ceremony and the space within which it is conducted several times. The first few was mostly gaining insight and finding the idea of the ceremony very appealing. But I kept going back because I began to relate the how of his meditation, the knowledgeable yet curious approach to understanding, to other cultures I have had some intimate experience with. I came away with, for lack of a better term, an openminded and respectful way to gain whatever access I can to the meaning of some practices I don't understand.
I think this will be a wonderful book for anyone who has spent time in Japan and especially Kyoto, but it is equally rewarding for those of us with little to no time spent in Japan but are interested in understanding how to find meaning in the most subtle aspects of a culture's aesthetics.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I have only been to Japan twice and never to Kyoto, so I didn't come to this expecting a new way to appreciate a place I already knew but rather I came with the hope of understanding how better to look beyond the surface of any place I might travel or have traveled. And I definitely was rewarded for my interest.
I certainly gained a better appreciation of Japanese culture, of why some things are done as they are. Yet the meditations, as Weiss calls them, also offers the reader ways to approach locales both known and unknown to them. I went back and reread some of the passages about the tea ceremony and the space within which it is conducted several times. The first few was mostly gaining insight and finding the idea of the ceremony very appealing. But I kept going back because I began to relate the how of his meditation, the knowledgeable yet curious approach to understanding, to other cultures I have had some intimate experience with. I came away with, for lack of a better term, an openminded and respectful way to gain whatever access I can to the meaning of some practices I don't understand.
I think this will be a wonderful book for anyone who has spent time in Japan and especially Kyoto, but it is equally rewarding for those of us with little to no time spent in Japan but are interested in understanding how to find meaning in the most subtle aspects of a culture's aesthetics.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
June 1, 2025
As an anthropology professor, discussing the culturally-constructed bases of perception, aesthetic, and cognition is my stock-in-trade; I therefore anticipated an insightful read with this book but I was sadly mistaken. When Weiss does ruminate on differential perspectives in Japanese and Western thought, the essays shine and his personal anecdotes make the discussions real and immediate; truly, the last brief essay is an outstanding reflection on life, the universe, and everything through a Japanese lens that sufficiently well portrays the whole work that I wonder if perhaps it should have been placed earlier in the collection to walk the reader better into contemplation of Japanese thought.
However, a weighty boat anchor holds this book back from satisfying any but the most ardent reader and that is Weiss' explicit focus, not on Japanese culture but on connoisseurship (his own word choice). This book is about the red velvet rope that separates the deeply (and very specifically) educated, the supercilious glances, those few invited to the tea ceremony who alone will experience the things, those who knowingly cite the "great architects" and the "famous philosophers" from, well, everyone else. I am multilingual, have lived and worked in several non-anglophone countries, and taught culture studies in universities and yet this book is not meant for me. Weiss' very language makes that clear.
For a discussion panel at a curatorship conference, this would be appropriate. As food for thought on aesthetics to a general, educated reader, the rarified air it brings is too thin to breathe.
However, a weighty boat anchor holds this book back from satisfying any but the most ardent reader and that is Weiss' explicit focus, not on Japanese culture but on connoisseurship (his own word choice). This book is about the red velvet rope that separates the deeply (and very specifically) educated, the supercilious glances, those few invited to the tea ceremony who alone will experience the things, those who knowingly cite the "great architects" and the "famous philosophers" from, well, everyone else. I am multilingual, have lived and worked in several non-anglophone countries, and taught culture studies in universities and yet this book is not meant for me. Weiss' very language makes that clear.
For a discussion panel at a curatorship conference, this would be appropriate. As food for thought on aesthetics to a general, educated reader, the rarified air it brings is too thin to breathe.
December 18, 2024
Collection of essays on the aesthetics of Japanese arts and culture, concentrating on those of Kyoto. The author states in his preface that he wants to show you HOW to see; the book is not a guidebook, telling of WHAT to see. Japanese arts include more things than Western art, such things as the tea ceremony, which is done is a prescribed manner with special hut and utensils and ritualized gestures; ikebana [flower arranging] is included. The spaces between the flowers in the arrangement are part of the design. Also mentioned are ceramics and sculpture. Gardens are not the same as Western gardens; they use different plants, fence styles and even adjoining buildings. Drawings are mentioned. I enjoyed the author's personal anecdotes but as a whole, the history and background were above my head. The author included many photos which he took himself; I guess he thinks "a picture is worth a thousand words." I wish they had been in color, though. I feel this book was intended for real lovers of Japanese arts and culture, not people who have only superficial knowledge.
I thank LibraryThing for my copy.
I thank LibraryThing for my copy.
November 19, 2024
This is a book to read slowly, cup of tea in hand, curled up on a sofa. Through photographs, anecdotes and philosophical ruminations, Weiss takes us on a tour of the Japanese worldview by discussing locations in the old capital of Kyoto. Whereas the West tends to split artistic things into categories, Japan sees them as part of the whole: the tea cup may be a beautiful pottery object but it is used in a tea ceremony which is itself a site for displaying calligraphy, flower arranging and traditional craftsmanship which built the teahouse. Weiss nicely brings out how contrived the “rustic simplicity” of the teahouse/tea ceremony really is and that this is only something for the very rich.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 17, 2024
Interesting slim book on culture and Meditation in Kyoto, Japan. I received a free copy; it is a keeper, not an overnight read. Kyoto City has the ancient Japan and Tokyo the new. Kyoto is a place to have a peaceful mind and meditation.
January 2, 2025
Early Reviewers.
I appreciate any book that tells you to slow down and appreciate the many facets of an experience or object or building.
A most pleasant read.
I appreciate any book that tells you to slow down and appreciate the many facets of an experience or object or building.
A most pleasant read.
November 18, 2025
wabi-sabi
December 14, 2025
I thought I liked esoterica. But this book went too far for me.
September 7, 2024
While Illusory Dwellings is not something I'd usually pick up, and I'm sure some of it went over my head a little, this was a joy to read.
Weiss' writing is engaging and grounded in expertise, experience and research - Weiss provides an opening into Japanese customs and spirituality from tea ceremonies to gardens. It is truly a wonderful way to experience Kyoto, from a perspective that is wholly different to travel guides or memoirs. Each chapter has a clear focus in regards to what it wishes to meditate upon and Weiss delivers these ideas through anecdotal writing as well as through a brilliant command of art history, architectural knowledge, and a humbling understanding of Zen Buddhism.
Weiss' writing is engaging and grounded in expertise, experience and research - Weiss provides an opening into Japanese customs and spirituality from tea ceremonies to gardens. It is truly a wonderful way to experience Kyoto, from a perspective that is wholly different to travel guides or memoirs. Each chapter has a clear focus in regards to what it wishes to meditate upon and Weiss delivers these ideas through anecdotal writing as well as through a brilliant command of art history, architectural knowledge, and a humbling understanding of Zen Buddhism.
November 12, 2024
It is likely that I would have loved this book if the formatting of the electronic format had worked, but instead both pieces of text and photographs were missing. What I understood and saw anyway I liked, but I would certainly recommend buying only the paper format.
È probabile che questo libro mi sarebbe piaciuto tantissimo se la formattazione del formato elettronico avesse funzionato, invece mancavano sia pezzi di testo che fotografie. Quello che ho capito e visto comunque mi é piaciuto, ma certo consiglierei di comprare soltanto il formato cartaceo.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
È probabile che questo libro mi sarebbe piaciuto tantissimo se la formattazione del formato elettronico avesse funzionato, invece mancavano sia pezzi di testo che fotografie. Quello che ho capito e visto comunque mi é piaciuto, ma certo consiglierei di comprare soltanto il formato cartaceo.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews