Tenryu-ji: Life and Spirit of a Kyoto Garden

Tenryu-ji: One of Kyoto’s most revered Zen temples and a monument to Japanese history, viewed through its monks, gardens, prayers, and art.

This illustrated study of Tenryuji, ranked number one among the five great Zen temples of Kyoto and a major destination for tourism and worship, weaves together history, design, culture, and personal reflection to reveal the inner workings of a great spiritual institution.

Looking at Tenryuji’s present as a mirror to its past, and detailing the famous pond and rockwork composition by renowned designer Muso Soseki, Norris Brock Johnson presents the first full-length ＂biography＂ of a Zen temple garden.

Norris Brock Johnson is a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He was a Fulbright Lecturer at Waseda University and University of Tokyo, Komaba. Professor Johnson has been researching, teaching, and writing about the temple gardens of Japan for over twenty years.