Synopses & Reviews
ForeWord Magazine's BOOK OF THE YEAR Awards, Silver Medal Winner, Home and Garden
Supreme examples of the art of Japanese gardens, not easily accessible to the public.
The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto is the attractive sequel to Landscapes for Small Spaces by the same photographer, Katsuhiko Mizuno. In this new book, Mizuno introduces the gardens of Kyoto that are not easily accessible or are totally closed to the public.
Mizuno was born in Kyoto and has spent most of his life in this old capital, established in the eighth century. Kyoto is not susceptible to short-term fashions, and this rigidness can be seen in the way it has kept the tradition of garden art alive over the centuries in public and private spaces. Thanks to his familiarity with the city, Mizuno has been able to penetrate its hidden corners and capture the beauty of unknown gardens with his cameras.
The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto displays more than fifty gardens, from private dwellings to the Imperial Palaces and Villas, temples, tea schools and shrines. The elements and structure of each garden are explained by Masaaki Ono, who studied under the greatest twentieth-century garden designer, Mirei Shigemori. Plans drawn by Ono also accompany some of the garden descriptions.
Some Japanese gardens are planned so as to be seen from one vantage point, but many are designed for viewing from multiple angles. In his previous book, Mizuno only showed us one aspect per garden, but this time we are given various views as we explore the stroll gardens or look down from the verandas of the buildings surrounding enclosed gardens. This three-dimensional approach will help both professional and amateur garden designers and landscape architects to understand the structure as well as the diverse vegetation used in one garden.
Review
"This is one of the most finely photographed books of gardens I have seen.... If you favor Japanese garden styles, you will be impressed by the sweeps, use of stone, meticulous attention to detail and feel for nature the text and images convey." -Washington Post
"Between these elegant covers...readers are treated to some of Kyoto's most exquisite gardens that never open to the public." -Los Angeles Times
"From the dynamic asymmetry governing a composition of shapely trees to the transitory response engendered by falling leaves, an ethereal perfection comes to pass in Mizuno and Ono's melding of words and pictures." -Booklist
"Anyone on your gift list who loves Japanese style will be delighted to receive The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto." -Metropolitan Home
"Don't miss the Hidden Gardens of Kyoto. ...The timeless elegance of such gardens is extraordinary. ...This newly-released masterpiece demonstrates the Japanese esthetic that blends utility and ornamentation which for centuries has provided a sanctuary where inhabitants can stroll, boat, sip tea and meditate on all of life's possibilities. The utmost attention to detail translates into the precision with which inanimate objects are integrated into their natural surroundings." -Renovation and Decor
"The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto is devoted to resplendent photographs of the gardens themselves. A singularly beautiful treasury." -Midwest Book Review
"This luscious volume opens the raffia-tied bamboo gate to reveal a world of gardens both ancient and surprisingly contemporary." -Seattle Times
"This book can provide many moments of pleasure and inspiration." -Post and Courier
"[The book] gives much insight of the various garden elements in traditional Japanese gardens." -Juneau Empire
"An elegant visual and textual introduction to Japanese gardens." -Asahi Herald
"With these details, Mizuno and Ono give readers a new appreciation of the traditional Japanese garden. Perhaps the most intriguing detail of The Hidden Garden of Kyoto is knowing that the gate into these gardens-which might otherwise be closed-is, in these pages, open to us all." -The Globalist (Online)
Review
"This is one of the most finely photographed books of gardens I have seen.... If you favor Japanese garden styles, you will be impressed by the sweeps, use of stone, meticulous attention to detail and feel for nature the text and images convey." -Washington Post
"Between these elegant covers...readers are treated to some of Kyoto's most exquisite gardens that never open to the public." -Los Angeles Times
"From the dynamic asymmetry governing a composition of shapely trees to the transitory response engendered by falling leaves, an ethereal perfection comes to pass in Mizuno and Ono's melding of words and pictures." -Booklist
"Anyone on your gift list who loves Japanese style will be delighted to receive The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto." -Metropolitan Home
"Don't miss the Hidden Gardens of Kyoto. ...The timeless elegance of such gardens is extraordinary. ...This newly-released masterpiece demonstrates the Japanese esthetic that blends utility and ornamentation which for centuries has provided a sanctuary where inhabitants can stroll, boat, sip tea and
meditate on all of life's possibilities. The utmost attention to detail translates into the precision with which inanimate objects are integrated into their natural surroundings." -Renovation and Decor
"The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto is devoted to resplendent photographs of the gardens themselves. A singularly beautiful treasury." -Midwest Book Review
"This luscious volume opens the raffia-tied bamboo gate to reveal a world of gardens both ancient and surprisingly contemporary." -Seattle Times
"This book can provide many moments of pleasure and inspiration." -Post and Courier
"[The book] gives much insight of the various garden elements in traditional Japanese gardens." -Juneau Empire
"An elegant visual and textual introduction to Japanese gardens." -Asahi Herald
"With these details, Mizuno and Ono give readers a new appreciation of the traditional Japanese garden. Perhaps the most intriguing detail of The Hidden Garden of Kyoto is knowing that the gate into these gardens-which might otherwise be closed-is, in these pages, open to us all." -The Globalist
(Online)
About the Author
KATSUHIKO MIZUNO, the photographer, born in Kyoto in 1941, graduated from Doshisha University and the Tokyo College of Photography. His camera has been focused on his historic home town since 1969. In 2000 he renovated a Kyoto townhouse said to date from the latter half of the Edo period, converting it into a museum housing his photographic works. He has published over 110 books, including the English-language
Landscapes for Small Spaces (Kodansha International), which won a Gold Medal in the
Foreword 2002 Book of the Year Awards.
MASAAKI ONO, the author, born in Nara in 1947, graduated from Doshisha University. After studying garden design under the distinguished and influential Mirei Shigemori, he opened his own design office. Among his many projects have been gardens at Seirenji, Jotokuin, and Shojokein temples, as well as those he designed for teahouses, inns, and private residences.