pictures are absolutely STUNNING, Japan is my second home and this book has managed to capture the beauty of the country, Theres also heaps of good history and cultural information as well : sitelink blogspot. ca/
It seems that the more gardens you see in Kyoto the more gardens and temples there are left to see.
And even though I told myself I'd seen enough gardens during my most recent fourday trip to the old Japanese capital, Kyoto Gardens had made me realize how I have scratched the surface.
The book captures the essence of the key gardens and grounds each in four page profiles, Packed with pictures and accompanying short descriptions you get a quick look at and a bit of history of the garden and its temple or palace home.
And actually one great advantage of the book is it has all the photos you wish you could have taken but couldn't because the light was wrong or there weretourists in front of you.
So for the places you've been it's a great return visit,
It's a great guide, So I have officially renounced my thought I'd seen enough gardens and temples, I need to see more and this will be my decision guide, Gorgeous picture book to peruse, especially in fall, This is a beautiful and inspiring book, I love gardens and this book has helped me choose what to visit on trips to Kyoto, It's also helped me understand the design and features of the gardens, I would recommend this to any garden lover traveling to Kyoto who wants to understand more about the gardens they visit, Kyoto Kōen
This is a stunningly beautiful book that takes readers on a journey through the tranquil and serene gardens of Kyoto.
The photographs are truly breathtaking and capture the essence of the gardens perfectly,
The author's writeups are informative, providing readers with historical and cultural context, as well as practical tips for visiting the gardens.
The book is a musthave for anyone interested in Japanese gardens or simply looking for a calming and visually pleasing read.
I found the recommendations for gardens to visit particularly helpful for planning our trip to Japan / Kyoto,
Overall, this book is a great combination of beauty and practicality, and I highly recommend it,
./Beautifully photographed book illuminating the
serenity and transcendence of the Kyoto gardens which blend spirituality with natural elements to provide retreats within the city.
This is an absolutely gorgeous book, The photographs are amazing and the texts are short, but evocative and also provide background, history and explanation of the gardens showcased, I was lucky enough to have seen some of them, but reading this makes me want to go to Kyoto immediately to visit all the rest and see the ones I've been to again
A variety of gardens are selected, some of them a little off the beaten main tourist track, which is really nice, too.
This is not only for garden enthusiasts or Japanophiles, but really anyone who loves gorgeous photography, This is a real gem, This is a beautiful example of what natural art is within Japan, I've admired Japanese culture, art, and cuisine ever since I discovered my interest in anime/manga, Reading Clancy's book has renewed my interest to visit Japan and view such artistic splendor that residents and visitors alike may enjoy,
Recommended for those who have been to Japan, those who wish to visit Japan, and those who simply love nature and artistic gardening.
This book would really be a lot better in a bigger format rather than the small, compact square size it currently is printed in, which do no justice to the absolutely beautiful photos found within.
If you plan to visit any of Kyoto's gardens, this book contains a listing of a good number of them, providing an overview of the garden's history, and explaining some of the elements seen within e.
g. sand sculptures, raked stone patterns, etc, The photos are plentiful though small and give a good idea of what to expect, from the general landscape to tiny features found within like knots on ropes, a basin of water, etc.
The pictures were pretty, but the writing wasn't terribly excitingI didn't actively enjoy reading the text, and I didn't get a great sense of how one garden might differ from another.
I suspect as is often the case for me, if not for others this was yet another example of TMPNET too many photos, not enough text.
Note: amazing, wonderful,very good book,decent read,disappointing,awful, just awful, I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot ofs, I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy, but I grade on a curve! "Bring the art and beauty of Japan to your garden with inspiration from Kyoto Gardens.
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HGTV Gardens
Featuring beautiful Japanese garden photography and insightful writing, Kyoto Gardens is a labor of love from master photographer Ben Simmons and Kyotobased writer Judith Clancy.
In their rocks and plants, empty spaces and intimate detailsKyoto's gardens manifest a unique ability to provoke thought and delight in equal measure.
These varied landscapes meld the sensuality of nature with the disciplines of cosmology, poetry and meditation, Japanese aristocrats created these gardens to display not just wealth and power, but cultural sensitivity and an appreciation for transcendent beauty, A class of professional gardeners eventually emerged, transforming Japanese landscape design into a formalized art, Today, Kyoto's gardens display an enormous range of formsfrom rock gardens display of extreme minimalism and subtle hues, to stroll gardens of luscious proportions and vibrant colors.
In Kyoto Gardens Simmons' photographs present a fresh and contemporary look at Kyoto's most important gardens, Their beauty is enhanced and humanized by gardeners tending the grounds using the tools of their art, Clancy's graceful text provides historical, aesthetic and cultural context to the Japanese gardens, Combining wonder and rigor, she describes how Kyoto's most beloved gardens remain faithful to their founders' creative spirit and conception, Journey to Kyoto's thirty gardens with just a turn of a page, or use the handy maps to plan your trip, .