Michiko Rico Nosé

My first and so far only trip to Japan was about a dozen years ago, when I spent two weeks with friends in Tokyo and we were able to get to Kyoto and a few other places outside of the metropolis. When it came time for some architourism, contemporary buildings prevailed, but Kyoto, with its numerous temples and gardens, was the biggest exception. If I ever make it back to Japan I'd like to search out some landscapes as well, such as those designed by Mirei Shigemori and Shunmyo Masuno. Their gardens balance the traditional and the modern in ways that are refreshing yet clearly Japanese.

Masuno provides the introduction to this book, which collects dozens of gardens in four chapters/themes: advancing tradition, miniaturization of landscape, sculptural and textural qualities, and the new planted garden. Most of the projects are domestic (tapping into the desire of Western homeowners to replicate Eastern gardens around their homes), but some are public, thereby providing some ideas for exploration. Highlights of the latter are by none other than Masuno, who, like other Japanese garden designers, manages to pack a big punch into a small space.… (altro)