Japanese Garden Design

Marc P. Keane

May 2012 · Tuttle Publishing

About this ebook

This book, filled with gorgeous photographs, explains the theory, history, and intricacies of Japanese gardening.

The creation of a Japanese garden combines respect for nature with adherence to simple principles of aesthetics and structure. In Japanese Garden Design, landscape architect Marc Peter Keane presents the history and development of the classical metaphors that underlie all Japanese gardens.

Keane describes the influences of Confucian, Shinto and Buddhist principles that have linked poetry and philosophy to the tangible metaphor of the garden in Japanese culture. Creative inspiration is found in the prehistoric origin of Japanese concepts of nature; the gardens of Heian aristocrats; the world-renowned Zen garden, or rock garden; the tea garden; courtyard garden; and stroll garden.

Detailed explanations of basic design concepts identify and interpret the symbolism of various garden forms and demonstrate these principles in use today in Japanese landscape architecture.

Topics include:

• Design Principles
• Design Techniques
• Design Elements
• Godspirit in Nature
• Poetry in Paradise
• The Art of Emptiness
• Spiritual Passage
• Private Niches
• A Collector's Park

Ratings and reviews

This is an outstanding overview of Japanese garden design. Mr, Keane's tour de force examines Japanese gardens through the historical and cultural lens of Japanese history, providing a strong foundation for further study, appreciation, and garden building.

review

About the author

Marc Peter Keane, a licensed landscape architect and garden designer, came to Japan in 1985, and since then has been creating and building gardens for companies, temples, and private individuals. He teaches a design workshop as an adjunct professor at the Kyoto University of Art and Design and is a staff member of the Research Center for Japanese Garden Art there. He has traveled and lectured widely on traditional and classical approaches to Japanese garden design and landscaping. He lives in Ithaca, NY.

Haruzo Ohashi, born in 1927, is a freelance photographer based in Tokyo and is considered one of Japan's leading garden photographers. Among his many publications are Famous Gardens in Japan, Gardens of Japanese History, Vol. 35, and Japanese Garden, Traditional Forms and Drawings, Vol. 5. He is a member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society.