Courtyard Gardens of Kyoto's Merchant Houses - Hardcover

Mizuno, Katsuhiko

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 4770030231 ISBN 13: 9784770030238

Publisher: Kodansha International, 2006

Synopsis

One of the pleasures of visiting Kyoto is to wander around narrow streets lined with machiya, the traditional townhouses of the merchant class. Tucked away inside each of these unusually long, narrow dwellings is a hidden oasis: a small garden known as the tsuboniwa. Following on from Landscapes for Small Spaces and The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto, the third book by garden enthusiast and photographer Katsuhiko Mizuno focuses on these miniature courtyard gardens of the machiya.
A wide variety of gardens are beautifully photographed and presented: from those in shops, inns, restaurants, and tearooms, to gardens in many private homes. A total of 150 color images from fifty-two houses showcase the flawless Kyoto aesthetic and use of limited space. Surrounding architectural features, such as shoji sliding doors, reed blinds, beams, railings, and walkways are also featured.
Each photograph is accompanied by analytical and insightful comments from the author, making this a useful reference book for all garden lovers, as well as a visual feast for anyone with an interest in traditional Japanese design.

About this title

About the Author:

KATSUHIKO MIZUNO, born in Kyoto in 1941, graduated from Doshisha University and the Tokyo College of Photography. His photographs are on display in the Kyoto townhouse he renovated and converted into a museum.

Review:

"...a library of Japanese courtyard designs. More than 150 color photographs and diagrams offer several hundred landscape design ideas for small spaces." —Washington Post
"...a study of the interior gardens of the former Imperial City that proves how sympathetic in scale, proportion and detailing the ancient Japanese garden aesthetic can be to domestic environments." —Metropolitan Home

About this edition

• Publisher: Kodansha International
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 4770030231
• ISBN 13: 9784770030238
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 152