A comprehensive study and the first book of its kind, The Modern Japanese Garden stands as the definitive work on the subject. Featuring gardens from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fujisawa to Osaka, Okayama, Fukuoka, and beyond, this impressive overview includes an in-depth analysis of key works of interest through detailed garden profiles; a look at some of the most renowned Japanese garden designers in history; and a profound exploration of essential themes and developments in Japanese garden design.

Roughly divided between pre- and post-1945 Japanese garden design, the book examines the shifting attitudes toward the contemporary garden in the postwar period, from status symbols and expressions of influence to spaces of healing and meditation. A brief history of the Japanese garden, from pre-Shinto stone representations to the late 19th century, is complemented by an analysis of contemporary gardens at corporate buildings, museums, hotels, and public spaces in Japan. The garden profiles, which offer a comprehensive overview of Japan’s most iconic and influential gardens, include a mix of landscape and smaller-scale gardens, with many recently completed examples. Interspersed throughout the book are brief interludes ranging from the ancient garden of Ryoan-ji in Kyoto to the aesthetic lexicon of Japanese garden design, while essays by several prominent contributors—Kengo Kuma, Mira Locher, Tim Richardson, and Masuno Shunmyo—reflect on specific themes.