Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto: A Guide to Kyoto's Most Important Sites

I bought this book during my visit to Kyoto ( wish I did this in advance). This is the best review of the temples and history of Zen in general and in Kyoto in particular. You should read the book while visiting the temples to be able to spot the unique features of each one. Everything is in the book: hours of operation, accessibility etc.

Beautiful photographs with an explanation of the Japanese aesthetic or philosophy that is illustrated. The authors take the reader on a tour to look at details and explain the thinking behind the beauty. There are many ideas to delight in and to learn from here. I have been to Kyoto many times and studied Japanese culture for decades, and I would recommend this for someone who knows and loves Japan as well as for someone new to Japan.

A nice book with lovely photos. I wish they had included more maps to show location and to show what grounds were like, but that's a quibble.

Beautiful book -- I bought one for me and one for a friend who was raised in Japan and loves it so much. She was thrilled with it.

Enjoyed the book, but wish some of the pictures contained within were larger for detailed observation.

Excellent conception and presentation.

lovely and inspiring and educational

Ten years ago I made my first pilgrimage to Kyoto. Like many others, the famous Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple and the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) were on the top of my list to visit. Since then I have explored many other Zen Temples in the ancient capital of Japan. They are special places with a rich history, places of presence, beauty and contemplation. The publication of 'Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto' helps put my journey of discovery into context. It has enhanced my understanding and appreciation of Zen and provided much food for thought. For this I am grateful. The combination of informative, insightful and accessible text by John Dougill, and delightful photographs by John Einarsen, makes this book a 'must have' for those interested in Kyoto, Zen and Japan. The affordable price for a book of this quality was also pleasing. The way 'Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto' is presented means that you can dip in an out or read it from cover to cover. Having done the latter I have noted some new Temples to visit and other leads to follow up. The useful access and contact details provided will be of assistance here. Bringing together so much material in the one place is admirable - the hard work has been done for us. I would recommend the book whether you live in Kyoto, have visited many times as I have, or are planning your first trip.

I have most books available on Japanese gardens. This one is an excellent summary of those in and around Kyoto.

Nice pictures and a good introduction to Kyoto. However this is far from a practical guidebook.

Das beste Buch über Geschichte etc. der Zen-Klöster. Ein Muß für jeden Kyoto-Liebhaber. Beachten: Es ist nur über die ZEN-Klöster. Weder über Shingon-Tempel noch über Jodo Shinshu noch über andere Richtungen des Buddhismus. Vielleicht ist es für den Neuling erstmal schwer zu verstehen, aber Buddhismus in Japan ist nicht mit Zen gleichzusetzen, das ist nur eine Richtung von vielen, Dennoch sind hier die wichtigen und durchweg großartigen Rinzai-Haupttempel alle drin, und deshalb deckt das Buch eine ganze Reihe großartiger Sehenswürdigkeiten ab. Die Qualität ist herausragend, kein reiner Bildband, sondern durchaus mit fundiertem und der aktuellen Recherchelage entsprechender Beschreibung und Geschichte. Ich würde mir wünschen, daß der Autor genau so ein Werk über all die anderen Tempelgruppen schreibt - ich würde es ihm aus der Hand reißen.

The coverage of gardens is, to my thinking (and experience) limited mainly to the most popular gardens. I would have like to see more from temples in the mountains surrounding Kyoto, and the smaller gardens that are sometime in courtyard like spaces within temples. The format could have been bigger so photos could have been bigger. All told, however, a satisfying survey.

A wonderful book. While some of the information about prices, etc is worth double checking before you visit, this is my favorite Kyoto guide. There are places in here I never would have found otherwise (which also meant most other tourists also missed them). A great read all on its own as well.