Customer Reviews

A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto

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This book is an indispensible aide to anyone planning a trip on his own. This book contains over 50 individual entries describing the gardens of Kyoto and environs, grouped by geographic location within the city. Overview maps for the different districts show the approximate location of the individual gardens, so that the traveller can put together itineraries for daytrips in the Kyoto area.

Each entry gives details of opening hours, historic background and special features of the garden described. The name of the garden and its location are additonally specified in Japanese characters, making this book the ideal travel guide for those embarking on a trip to Kyoto.

There is a limited number of photos, so that those wanting to plan a trip using the guide might consider referencing other books with numerous color photos to pick the specific gardens they are interested in.

Don't leave home without this book! Anyone who is planning a trip to Japan (resident foreigners included) and has even the slighest interest learning about the Gardens of Kyoto should buy a copy of this superb book, which is small enough to carry in your shoulder bag. The book contains gives the balance of detail,giving good a historical background and landscape points overview. This is a buy you will not regret. Well done to the authors.

I've met Ron Herman and he is one of the most talented landscape gardeners and an authoritative western expert on Japanese gardens in particular. Kyoto does not change fast, so even though the book is old this is still a highly valuable guide for anyone planning on visiting this remarkable city. This guide book describes all the major gardens in the 5-districts and their surroundings, and will help you decide what you want to see and how to get there. He also offers itineraries to help plan you trip.

The book has many good color and b/w photos, and numerous diagrams to give you an idea of what to expect. It also offers a brief history of Kyoto and the gardens, and describes the various styles. If you are visiting Kyoto for the first time, do a web search and find a good ryokan, or traditional inn for your stay. The Japanese understand service like no other, and this will significantly enhance your experience. They can be expensive and you'll get what you pay for (avoid Yachiyo Ryokan, its not worth the price and they're rude to westerners in a subtle and very Japanese way, like sticking you in the noisiest room when the place is empty or telling you to come back if you arrive a little early).

I also recommend Diane Durston's book "Old Kyoto", which has good cultural info and all the great places to shop & eat. You can skip the big name guide books if you get these two. Have a great one!

I was greatly impressed with the historical text in the beginning of the book, which sets the stage for the rest. I have several books on Kyoto and Gardens of Japan, but this one is now my favorite.

I've visited the gardens and temples of Kyoto twice before, and am going again soon. I will take this book, the 2nd edition I've carried as I wore the first one out. A truly indispensable guide to the history and contents of the 50 sites it covers.

This is an excellent, well organized book. It's small enough to take with you and the maps are not so detailed as to be confusing and yet detailed enough to be useful. I've been pouring over many books on Kyoto gardens - I'm going to Kyoto next week and this is the ONE book I will be taking with me. The book is organized into the different areas of Kyoto, so if you're interested in the northeast area you can easily see what there is to see in that particular area.

The one drawback is the lack of blank pages for personal notes and itineraries. My guess is that the authors wanted to keep the overall size of the book as small as possible so that people could take it with them. As I said, I'm taking mine with me. This is a useful, well organized, well thought out book. If you're going to go to Kyoto, this is the book to get.

A very detailed guide book that provides a lot more information than the average guide book. It is particularly useful for those who require more in depth information on understanding the gardens and the buildings within them.

Delivery was fast and efficient.

... and Japanese gardens generally. Of all the joys I experienced living and learning music in Japan, the most intense was just sitting in some of the less-touristed gardens of Tokyo and 'letting time happen' around me. But I'm not writing now to review this guidebook or to praise the beauties of raked gravel and maple leaves. The pictures of the earthquake devastation in northeastern Japan have shaken my feelings fearsomely. Don't just think about making a contribution for aid and relief! Do it! Give until it hurts! People in the upper tax brackets, GIVE that extra 3% or 4% you begrudge in taxes so adamantly! Give until your greed-meter overheats!

Today's Huffington Post has very dependable and worthy agencies to recommend for your generosity. I'll add the link in a comment.

A very dry book for such a juicy topic. Practically unusable for my purposes.