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Visons of the Japanese Garden is the subtitle of this book, translated by Jiro Takei and Marc Peter Keane, which is published by Tuttle.
A Japanese court noble wrote 'Records of Garden Making' almost 1,000 years ago, making the book the oldest on gardening in the world.
The book describes Japanese gardening style of the era and how to do it, which is much the same in essence as it is now.
The foreword, by Portland Japanese Garden curator Hugo Torii who writes that he recommendds the book to all whi are attracted to Japanese gardens.
Sakuteiki is traditionally attributed to Tachibana no Toshitsuna, is more than a technical manual, but also a philosophical guide that reveals how Japanese aesthetics, religion (Shinto, Buddhism and feng shui) and love of nature shaped the creation of gardens. Sakuteiki remains influential on some modern landscape architecture and environmental design.
Harmony between humans and nature is central to the philosophy. A garden should respond to the land’s existing features or “follow the request of the stones”.
This is not an easy read, though the new translation and extensive colour pictures help. This historical curiosity does has modern relevance on how Japanese gardens are understood and created and is worth the time of the more cerebral gardener.
