A new photo book explores the symbolic beauty of the Japanese garden

The Japanese garden is not merely a garden – it is a spiritual landscape, layered with cultural and religious references. Rooted in philosophies such as Shinto, Buddhism and Daoism, these gardens have evolved over millennia, maintaining a deep reverence for nature, simplicity and balance.

A new book from Thames & Hudson, The Modern Japanese Garden by Stephen Mansfield, offers a survey of this evolution. It brings together gardens across Japan, from influential landscapes to smaller projects. Rich photography is accompanied by profiles of the gardens and their designers.

In the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1573), the rise of Zen Buddhism brought an emphasis on simplicity and meditation to Japanese gardens; this minimalist approach crystallised in the ‘imperfect’ wabi-sabi aesthetic. In the Edo period (1603-1868), designers began to create more elaborate strolling gardens – carefully-composed scenes to be discovered step by step – precursors to the gardens of the modern Meiji era.

The Modern Japanese Garden focuses on the period from 1900 to the present, and is broadly divided into two sections: pre- and post-1945. Many Japanese gardens were destroyed during the Second World War, and the postwar era saw design reimagined as a form of cultural restoration and healing. Modern Japanese garden designers sought to harmonise tradition with modernity This period also marked the export of Japanese garden aesthetics to the rest of the world; by the end of the 20th century, the principles of these spaces had seeped into landscape gardening everywhere.

At the heart of the Japanese garden are some enduring principles: harmony, simplicity and a respect for the natural world. Every element serves a purpose: stones and rocks represent mountains or islands. Water symbolises purity and life, while gravel and sand, used most notably in Zen gardens, are raked into patterns representing rivers, clouds or energy. Plant species such as pine, maple, bamboo and moss are selected for their seasonality, form and vernacular significance, while elements such as stone lanterns, bridges, gates and tea houses support principles of the strategic use of empty space and an intentional lack of symmetry.

Through its exploration of gardens old and new, The Modern Japanese Garden reveals how these elegant spaces offer calm and reflection in a world whose pace is ever-increasing.