In Japanese culture, the garden is a place for contemplating and transcending the bounds of nature. Today, the minimalist aesthetics of traditional Japanese gardens have a unique appeal to the West - yet the traditional, philosophical and historical principles basic to the Japanese are not always understood by westerners offering a pastiche of Japanese elements. This work is an illustrated elucidation of the history, principles and practice of various aspects of the Japanese garden. Special sections deal with the crucial elements of stone, sand and gravel, water, plants and spatial values.