The Japan travel classic and cultural guide gets you wandering from downtown quarters to remote mountaintop temples....This revised and updated edition of the Japan travel classic and cultural guide gets you wandering from downtown quarters to remote mountaintop temples and features expanded information on new museums and gardens now open year-round for viewing.Judith Clancy's expert research weaves a rich narrative of Kyoto's history, local lore, and artis...

Enjoy delicious Japanese food in some of Kyoto's most tucked-away and spectacular townhouses.Machiya, or townhouses, are traditional wooden dwellings in Kyoto that evoke the elegance and culture of Japan's old capital with their architectural details, beautiful gardens, and intimate rooms. Many have been converted into restaurants to create unforgettable dining experiences.Enjoying healthy food in a historic, traditional Kyoto environment is a rare pleasure...

This travel pictorial and Japan travel guide captures the sites and soul of Kyoto—Japan's historical and spiritual center.An elaborate kaleidoscope of craft, artistry and religion, Kyoto is one of the world's most popular travel destinations. Art and design form the weft and warp of this vibrant 1,200-year-old city, home to hundreds of gardens, palaces, villas and magnificent wooden temples, including seventeen UNESCO World Heritage sites.Like a Zen koan, K...

"Bring the art and beauty of Japan to your garden with inspiration from Kyoto Gardens."—HGTV GardensFeaturing beautiful Japanese garden photography and insightful writing, Kyoto Gardens is a labor of love from master photographer Ben Simmons and Kyoto-based writer Judith Clancy. In their rocks and plants, empty spaces and intimate details—Kyoto's gardens manifest a unique ability to provoke thought and delight in equal measure. These varied...

Featuring beautiful photographs and insightful commentary this Japanese gardening book is a must-have for any gardening or zen enthusiast.At the heart of a Japanese garden is harmony with nature. More than simply a landscape of trees and flowering shrubs, a Japanese garden provides a place of serenity and rest, filled with peaceful spots that lend themselves to meditation and contemplation. Japanese Gardens celebrates and illustrates this ideal, showcasing...

Discover this fascinating country with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to wander through Krakow's magnificent medieval Old Town, hike in the Tatra Mountains or relax on the Baltic coast, The Rough Guide to Poland will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way. - Independent, trusted reviews writtenwith Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the mo...

Learn the elements of the timeless beauty that is Japanese design in this concise reference volume.Japanese design is known throughout the world for its beauty, its simplicity, and its blending of traditional and contemporary effects. This succinct guide describes the influence and importance of 65 key elements that make up Japanese design, detailing their origins—and their impact on fields ranging from architecture and interior design to consumer products and high...

Featuring full-color photographs and illustrations thoughout, this book presents a comprehensive guide to Japanese culture.The richness of Japan's history is renowned worldwide, and the cultural heritage that its society has produced and handed down to future generations is one of Japan's greatest accomplishments. Introduction to Japanese Culture presents an overview, through 68 original and informative essays, of Japan's most notable cultural achievements...

Step back into old Japan with this fascinating travelogue of the famous Kiso Road, an ancient route used by samurai and warlordsThe Kisoji, which runs through the Kiso Valley in the Japanese Alps, has been in use since at least 701 C.E. In the seventeenth century, it was the route that the daimyo (warlords) used for their biennial trips—along with their samurai and porters—to the new capital of Edo (now Tokyo). The natural beauty of the route is r...

A beginner?s guide to attaining wealth and prosperity through the practical uses of feng shui.Feng shui, the Chinese aesthetic practice of arranging your environment to maximize the flow of energy, has entered the mainstream of American culture, with more and more Americans realizing every day that feng shui is no New Age fad, but a proven and practical way to improve your life.This compact yet thorough guide to using feng shui to create prosperity and abun...

**Winner of the 2006 American Horticultural Society Book Award**The Art of the Japanese Garden is the only historical overview of Japanese gardens that covers Japanese gardening culture in one beautiful book.Japanese gardens are rooted in two traditions: an indigenous prehistoric tradition in which patches of graveled forest or pebbled beach were dedicated to nature spirits, and a tradition from China and Korea that included elements such as ponds,...

Presenting twenty-five master gardens, this landscape design book explores the ingenuity and range of Japanese landscaping, from the self-imposed confines of courtyard designs to the open expanses of the stroll garden.No two Japanese gardens are ever the same. The Japanese Zen garden is a work of art equivalent in scale to an installation, but it is also an urban refuge, a setting where we can attain composure and equipoise. It is a place to collect our thoughts, e...