Of Arcs and Circles

"With every phrase, Keane invites us to look at the world around us, and to look better at it." Katie Croft, The Japan Society UK Review "Pulsing with wisdom. Marc Keane's meandering insights inspire frequent reading breaks for further contemplation, provoking an experience similar to walking around the off-balance balance designs of his Japanese gardens." Kris Kosaka, The Japan Times "This isnt a book to be devoured as one does a bag of potato chips. Each essay requires time and peace, and rereading, to connect with its essential views, which may hide lessons of a very surprising sort." Rebecca Otowa, Writers in Kyoto "For a thoughtful romp through Kyotos aesthetic delightsfrom the utterly mundane to the exquisitely ineffableI cant think of a better guide than Marc Peter Keane. I highly recommend his newest volume, Of Arcs and Circles." Leonard Koren, author of Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers "Maybe it comes from years of working with gardens, paying attention to the twist of one branch, the spread of a patch of moss. Marc Keane notices things. He really looks. It might be a wasp nest, an old machiya being torn down, the wind in the trees, a dragonfly that landed on his finger. He looks, and his thoughts begin to swim, then fly, then swoop back down again, in cycle upon cycle, always returning to the inter-connectedness and impermanence the wonder of things." Alex Kerr, author of Finding the Heart Sutra Reviews for Japanese Garden Notes "An elegantly soulful interpretation of the essential elements of Japanese garden design." The New York Times "An inspirational source for any individual interested in Japanese gardens and their design." Choice Reviews "Gorgeous... Like the gardens themselves, every corner of Japanese Garden Notes has been carefully considered, making for a delightful, nourishing coffee-table book." The Japan Times "This is a useful book for the layman as well as those more knowledgeable if Japanese gardens. It is also a valuable resource for designers both for the design insights and the ample photographic examples." The Journal of the North American Japanese Garden Association "Its hard to think of a better person to serve as a personal guide through 100 of Japans finest gardens." Spoon & Tamago "As evidenced through this selection of photographs, the garden design ideas vary in their composition and execution. Some include luscious and open green spaces, while others are more contained and have meticulous arrangements. Each will make you want to go and connect with nature." My Modern MET "Keane is the perfect person to expound on the finer aspects of the Japanese garden. [Japanese Garden Notes] captures the elegance of such a calming place." JQ magazine "A true work of art... that all who are interested in Japanese gardens should have on their bookshelf." Shakkei: The Journal of the Japanese Garden Society "There is not a gardener, of any kind, anywhere that would not benefit from owning this book" The Botanical Gardening Group "A jumping-off point for audiences interested in learning more about Japanese gardens, and offers inspiration for casual observers, garden design students, and aficionados." Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia In this thoughtful, marvelous book, Marc Keane distills over three decades experience observing, sketching, photographing, researching, and building Japanese gardens. The result is a series of compelling verbal and visual reflections on the design principles and philosophical values of Japanese gardens. These concise insightssome familiar, others freshare relevant to anyone who cares about how places of beauty are created and why they are

Marc Peter Keane is a landscape architect and a leading expert on Japanese garden design. He has made Kyoto his home for 20 years. Among his books are the essay collection The Art of Setting Stones, and the designers idea-book Japanese Garden Notes. His gardens have been published many times, including in Architectural Digest, Landscape Architecture, and Martha Stewart magazine.

Contents Foreword Magnitudes The name of the willow Wild in the city Interfaces Karesansui Of arcs and circles Little secrets everywhere Flowers Art Confluences Wind in the trees Waste not Dissolving Dream garden Unity Symmetry Rivers of the mind The last god Paths Subtleties On torii gates Wheels turning A garden by any other name Emptiness