Create Your Own Japanese Garden: A Practical Guide [Hardcover]

Motomi Oguchi (Author), Joseph Cali (Author), Kay Yokota (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Practical Guide | Publication Date: July 1, 2007

In this book, renowned garden designer Motomi Oguchi offers the reader a step-by-step, practical approach to creating Japanese gardens, drawn from a wealth of experience that covers thirty years and encompasses the design of more than 400 gardens. The author uses real examples from gardens he has designed, constructed, and photographed to illustrate his key points, approaching each work from the perspective of the home or building owner.

Oguchi begins with front gardens, as these are usually what one encounters first when entering a home. Typically, these front plantings are not defined Japanese garden types but rather, physical areas. He then moves on to tsubo niwa (courtyard gardens) and kare sansui (dry gardens) that might be found in the middle or rear of a building, or any available small space. Next, he introduces tea and tree gardens, which are more likely to be sections of a larger garden; and highlights specific characteristics and conditions of interior gardens.

Within each chapter are general layouts and methods of developing the various gardens, which precede specific, step-by-step instructions. The author also offers practical and affordable variations on more ambitious designs and shows how they can be adapted to the readers home or building. In addition, Oguchi emphasizes the importance of proper maintenance and offers suggestions for special touches and restoration.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oguchi, longtime designer of Japanese gardens and author of more than 18 books on the subject in Japanese, offers English speakers both an overview and practical knowledge of this easily recognized but to many Westerners mysterious art form. Oguchi describes the Japanese garden's relation to architecture from the ancient era to the mid–19th century, tracing its evolution from the lavish hills, ponds and waterfalls of early estates to the inward-turning, abbreviated and abstracted gardens of urban townhouses. He calls the guidelines of Japanese garden design naturalness, studied tastefulness, and harmony, tempered by flexibility for site conditions, current needs and desires, and self-expression, and presents essential design devices such as asymmetry, miekakure (hide and reveal). Most of the book gives concrete details on how to design and build a garden for the home or small business, using as examples the author's designs for restaurants, homes and his traditional teahouse. With precise instructions and illustrations for building typical elements such as bamboo fences and stone bridges, the book gives Americans all the information they need to create authentic Japanese gardens. The lack of a glossary may make it hard for readers to retain meanings of the many Japanese terms strewn throughout the text. (Aug.)
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Review

"This book is loaded with design ideas for East and West." --Washington Post

"This is probably the best ... garden book to be published in English in the past half decade. ... this book deserves an 'A' grade."--Journal of Japanese Gardening

"With precise instructions and illustrations for building typical elements such as bamboo fences and stone bridges, the book gives Americans all the information they need to create authentic Japanese gardens."--Publishers Weekly

"Just leafing through the photographs is enough to make you feel at peace!"--My Home

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA; First Edition edition (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770028040
• ISBN-13: 978-4770028044
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the reviews led me to believe, January 24, 2008

By 

Cognitive Scientist - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Create Your Own Japanese Garden: A Practical Guide (Hardcover)

Although this is a nice book, it is not as good as the reviews led me to believe. The attractive photos focus on primarily a few gardens that the author himself has made. In at least a couple of cases, the gardens were built where cars had been parked. I kept wondering where the cars went. I am sure the owners did not get rid of them.
The book has been praised for telling readers how to build elements of the gardens. This is true for a few fences and such in the featured gardens. However, I am sure other books in my collection have more information about building more things.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title, February 12, 2009

By 

Bettymouse (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Create Your Own Japanese Garden: A Practical Guide (Hardcover)

This is not really a how-to book. The author shows, in detail, how to recreate some gardens that he created for clients. While this is interesting, you really can't create your own Japanese garden using this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hew's Review, April 11, 2009

By 

J. Hew (Asheville NC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Create Your Own Japanese Garden: A Practical Guide (Hardcover)

After buying and reading many books on design of Japanese gardens and being dissatisfied because of no detailed help, this book was refreshing. This book bridges the gap between concept and digging a hole to plant a tree. Is well worth the cost.