The Gardens of Japan

by Helena Attlee, Alex Ramsay (Photographer)

In Japanese gardens, visitors find nature condensed and brought to perfection. Trees are trained and sculpted; the finest natural landscapes are reproduced in miniature; and the seasons are celebrated with spring blossom and the fiery leaves of autumn.

The Gardens of Japan is the perfect introduction to Japanese gardens. Helena Attlee captures the essence of Japanese garden style, and outlines its history. She then explores 28 of the great Japanese gardens in detail, explaining their character and nature. Alex Ramsay's superb photographs, specially taken for The Gardens of Japan , illustrate every aspect of the gardens.
 

Genres: Japan

136 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2010

Reviews

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some 28 important gardens in Japan are covered off in this book by Helena Attlee. Basically it is a picture book with some details about each garden ...mainly historical details. There is very little about any theories of garden design or layout , but maybe the is unnecessary with a book like this. The photographs are great...though, in a few cases, I noticed the perennial problem of photographic Japanese gardens; you need to be there at the right time. So the photos of the gardens in Okayama...Koraku-en appear to be taken in early winter. I had the same problem. Visiting there at the wrong season....before all the azaleas come out and the grass turns green. But, in it's own way, each of these great gardens has something to offer to the visitor in every season. And the constant march of the seasons.....so evident in Japan.....lends a unique charm to every garden. Still....it's hard really to beat these gardens in spring when the cherry blossoms are in flower or in Autumn when the leaves turn to bright red and yellow. I think Helena and her photographer husband have done a pretty good job with this book. It's a good overview of a large number of very beautiful gardens ...and they have not neglected to pick up on a few of the small details that make these places so lovely:....moss around the base of trees; roof tiles inserted in the ground; a rock tied with string to mark a no-go area. Great pictures.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The layout made it a bit confusing to determine which gardens were located where in Japan itself; otherwise, lovely photos and interesting (if sometimes repetitive) descriptions.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely photos