cover image Japanese Zen Gardens

Japanese Zen Gardens

Yoko Kawaguchi. Frances Lincoln (Quayside, dist.), $50 (208p) ISBN 978-0-7112-3447-5

This study of the Japanese Zen garden as living art treats the landscapes like the Chinese ink brush paintings that many of the gardens effect with their use of depth, distance, and symbol. Rocks are arranged to look like mountains, waterfalls, cranes, and turtles; trees and flowers are placed to evoke great distances. The book opens with a history of Japanese Zen gardens, from precursors in the fifth through twelfth centuries to the first truly Zen Buddhist gardens in the 13th century, then surveys those Zen gardens that advanced the traditions over many centuries up to today. The second half of the book explores the elements and symbols that serve to ground the visitor in awareness "of each transient moment in our fleeting lives." Long sidebars titled "Gardens of Distinction" focus on the simple details of these gardens, such "stones tied with black hemp-palm rope" to indicate the path to a tea ceremony. The photographs by Alex Ramsay and a scattering of landscape plans elevate the book further. A list of gardens to visit, a glossary, and a timeline of relevant historical events in Japan, China, and Europe round out this comprehensive survey. (Feb.)