The Modern Japanese Garden

The definitive survey of Japanese gardens and a beautiful investigation of the relationship between nature and modernity through the lens of 50 public gardens in Japan--an invaluable design resource on the subject.

The Modern Japanese Garden is a celebration of the immense diversity of garden designs in Japan, from animist-infused, prototypical stone arrangements placed in sacred groves, to extraordinary post-war innovations. In a beautifully designed package, it is an object to treasure, one that examines post-war shifts in attitudes towards the contemporary garden as they moved from status symbols and expressions of influence to spaces of healing, mediation, and connection to nature. It is intended for both horticultural and general readers with an interest in landscape design and Japan’s contemporary lifestyle, featuring gardens from across Japan that offer insight into some of the most renowned Japanese designers across history.

These gardens are not simply gardens, but points of convergence for several art forms and cultural practices, from the tea ceremony to Zen meditation. With stunning photographs and an artful, minimalist design, The Modern Japanese Garden integrates garden portraits with brief essays from notable specialists in the fields of landscape design, garden aesthetics, and architecture, including Shyunmo Masuno, Japan’s leading garden designer, monk, and author of The Art of Simple Living.

Includes a foreword by internationally bestselling author, Pico Iyer.

Stephen Mansfield is a British photojournalist and author, based in Japan and specializing in Japanese garden design. Stephen’s work has appeared across various magazines, newspapers and journals world-wide, including The Geographical, South China Morning Post and The Japan Times. He is author of Japan: Islands of the Floating World and the Insight Pocket Guide to Tokyo.