24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Making clear the mysteries of the garden, May 4, 2005
This review is from: Styles and Motifs Japanese Gardens (Plastic Comb)
It is said that if you cut a Japanese garden with a sword, it will bleed, because the gardener has put his very life's blood into his creation. To stand in the composed splendor of an authentic Japanese garden, it is easy to believe this, so powerful and rich is the aura of the place. Any visitor to Japan will spend at least some time in the famous gardens, wandering and dreaming. Possibly there are one or two Japanese gardens in your hometown as well, if you are lucky.
However, unless you are steeped in the mysteries and culture of Japanese religion, you would no more understand the deeper symbolism of the place than a lifelong Buddhist would understand the icons of a Catholic church. Japanese gardens are not mere works of beauty. In some cases, they are encoded representations of paradise. In other cases, mediation tools to assist in gaining enlightenment. In all cases, they are much more than what they appear.
Katsuhiko Mizuno has kindly written a guide book, a decoder if you will, to the delights of the garden. "Styles and Motifs: Japanese Gardens" is an essential book. Mizuno has made simple the complex structure, elucidating the symbology of the naturescape and the intentions of the gardener. Set into thirty basic motifs, such as "Moss Gardens," "Sand Designs," "Buddhist Trinity Stones" and "Rock Arrangements Symbolizing Eternal Life," the book explains and shows examples of typical features. Each feature is accompanied by a beautiful photograph, and information as to which gardens throughout Japan that particular feature can be found.
The book is compact, and spiral bound, making it very convenient to carry and travel with. Anyone coming to Japan would be happy to have included a copy in their packing.
I have been to Ryoan-ji in Kyoto many times, and each time I can hear people, staring at the famous Dry Landscape Garden (#15 in the book) saying, "Its beautiful, but what does it mean? I just don't get it." If they had a copy of "Styles and Motifs: Japanese Gardens," think of how much richer their experiences would have been!
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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
WTF...it's small and shallow, June 25, 2006
This review is from: Styles and Motifs Japanese Gardens (Plastic Comb)
Some joker here said this book was an "Excellent coffee table book." When you think of a coffee table book, you think of a big book with large pictures.
This book is 6 inches...it's a combed bound landscape pocket book.
Sure the pictures and the short essays that accompany them are lovely...bring a magnifying glass!
However, the essays often point out the shortcomings of the book. In one case, it talks of how a garden was built to be enjoyed from multiple points of view; however, you only get one photo of the garden. In another case, a pond garden is described as being enjoyed from a boat; but the picture is from the shore.
For you zen folk: the nature of the book is not in harmony with the content of the book. A pocket book can never cover the scope of these gardens.
I gave it two stars because it might be good as a learning aid to those studying Japanese gardens...the landscape binding make it a pretty good flash-card system.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Small like bound postcards, yes, but a fine introduction, February 10, 2010
This review is from: Styles and Motifs Japanese Gardens (Plastic Comb)
I have about ten books on Japanese Gardens, and this is the smallest and (bound by an ugly plastic coil) the ugliest, but it was also the cheapest. The photographs are good, and the text is great for people who want an overview of Japanese gardening styles and elements. I've been to Japan and visited many gardens there, but this book featured a few places I haven't seen yet, so it's also good as a pocket guide for anyone planning on going to Japan for the first time. I didn't expect a huge academic tome or an exceptional coffeetable book for just a few dollars.
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