Sakuteiki: Visions of the Japanese Garden

The Sakuteiki, or “Records of Garden Making,” was written nearly a thousand years ago. It is the oldest existing text on Japanese gardening—or any kind of gardening—in the world.

In this new edition, the authors provide an English-language translation of this classic work and an introduction to the cultural and historical context that led to the development of Japanese gardening accompanied by drawings, paintings and many new color photographs.

The new foreword by Japanese garden expert Hugo Torii, the Garden Curator at Portland Japanese Garden, explains the sacred importance of stones in Japanese garden design.

Written by a Japanese court noble during the Heian period (794-1184), the Sakuteiki includes technical advice on gardening—much of it still followed by today’s Japanese gardeners—and examines the four central threads of meaning which were central to Heian-era garden design. For those seeking inspiration to build a rock garden or just better understand the Japanese stone garden, the Sakuteiki is an enduring classic.