This book celebrates the exquisite beauty of more than 20 quintessential Japanese gardens, big and small, urban and rural, traditional and contemporary. Each Japanese garden seeks to invoke and imitate nature, and this expert author-and-photographer team excels at capturing, and explaining for the reader, the essential elements and techniques that distinguish Japanese gardens from those in other countries. The featured gardens range from large feudal-period, temple, private and countryside gardens to mountain flower, tea and miniature bonsai gardens. More than 300 specially commissioned photographs and plan drawingsCovers all types and sizes of Japanese gardensSpecial ideas, elements and techniques to learn from are highlighted in pictures and wordsThe magic of these gardens, where the efforts of nature, man and time complement each other to form a harmonious whole, are captured in stunning photographs and engaging text that brims with fascinating detail.