The Japanese Garden by Sophie Walker
Last updated: 3 October 2026
The Japanese Garden by Sophie Walker is a 304-page Phaidon hardback on more than 800 years of Japanese garden design, with over 300 pictures and 100 featured gardens. Tadao Ando, John Pawson and Anish Kapoor are among the contributors who wrote essays for it. Phaidon sells it at £59.95, and on 3 October 2026 Amazon UK had it at £46.16 from a marketplace seller, with 9 left.
Buy The Japanese Garden on Amazon UK, £46.16
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What is in The Japanese Garden
Walker traces Japanese gardens from early Shinto shrines through imperial gardens and Zen temple gardens to contemporary designs. The history runs across more than eight centuries, and 100 gardens get their own entries with photographs.
Alongside the history there are newly commissioned essays by artists and architects who have worked with Japanese ideas of space. The contributors are Tadao Ando, John Pawson, Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Richard Serra and the garden designer Luciano Giubbilei.
Who Sophie Walker is
Walker is a garden designer based in London who works on projects around the world. She studied art history, horticulture, plant science and garden design. According to Phaidon, she became the youngest woman to design a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2014. She also lectures on Japanese gardens and planting. The publisher's details are on Phaidon's page for The Japanese Garden.
Key facts
- Author: Sophie Walker
- Publisher: Phaidon
- First published: 30 October 2017
- Format: hardback, 304 pages, 27 x 20.5cm
- Weight: 1.37kg
- Illustrations: more than 300
- ISBN: 9780714874777
- Price: £59.95 from Phaidon, £46.16 on Amazon UK on 3 October 2026
- Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 from 235 ratings
Who The Japanese Garden suits
- Gardeners and garden designers: it covers the thinking behind Japanese gardens as well as what they look like, which helps if you want to borrow the ideas rather than copy a style.
- Architecture and design readers: the essays by Ando, Pawson and Serra come at the subject from building and sculpture.
- People who love Japan: pair it with The 1918 Shikoku Pilgrimage of Takamure Itsue, a diary of walking Shikoku's 88 temples, or Wabi-Sabi by Leonard Koren, a short book on the Japanese idea of imperfect beauty.
The limits
This is a history and design book, not a how-to guide. It will not tell you which plants to buy or how to build a dry garden at home. At 1.37kg it is a book for the table rather than the bag. Amazon also lists the French edition, Le jardin japonais, so check for ISBN 9780714874777 before you buy.
Where to buy it in the UK
Amazon UK had the hardback at £46.16 on 3 October 2026, sold by a marketplace seller rather than by Amazon, with 9 copies left. Phaidon sells it direct at the full £59.95.
The Japanese Garden on Amazon UK
FAQs
Who wrote The Japanese Garden?
Sophie Walker, a London-based garden designer, with essays by Tadao Ando, John Pawson, Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Richard Serra and Luciano Giubbilei.
How many pages is The Japanese Garden?
The Phaidon hardback has 304 pages and more than 300 illustrations.
How much does The Japanese Garden cost in the UK?
Phaidon sells it at £59.95. Amazon UK had it at £46.16 from a marketplace seller on 3 October 2026.
Is The Japanese Garden a practical gardening guide?
No. It covers the history and design of Japanese gardens, with 100 featured gardens, but it has no planting plans or step-by-step instructions.
When was The Japanese Garden published?
Phaidon published it on 30 October 2017.
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