No. 119, May 2001

Selections from the NDL Collection
Yokei zukuri niwa no zu

The book includes 21 black and white wood-block prints of beautiful gardens accompanied by a written description of the specific character of each garden. According to Moronobu's preface, the gardens depicted were not actual gardens but rather gardens imagined by the author. As the first drawings of Japanese gardens done by a professional artist, the book also provides useful information for Japanese garden historians. 

Hishikawa Moronobu is generally accredited as the founder of ukiyo-e. Before his time, the illustrations in printed books were subordinate to the text. He made the illustrations more important, and people bought the books for the sake of the pictures. 

The book shown here is the first edition published by Kashiwagi Yoichi in 1680. The revised edition of 1681 lacks three pictures, and in another edition, people have been deleted from the gardens. The title was based on the title paper (picture 2), another title "Shinpan Tsukiyamanozu fu Niwazukushi" is printed on the title slip (picture 1). 

1.Cover	2.Title and preface	3.Namiki no niwa (Garden with trees)
4.Shiba niwa (Lawn garden)	5.Karayou no niwa (Chinese style garden)	6.Niwako no niwa (Garden with aviary)
7.Horai no niwa (Horai garden)	8.Kemari no niwa (Garden for kemari game)	9.Hatsuse sakura yashiki (Hatsuse cherry blossom estate)
10.Otowa no taki (Otowa waterfall)	11.Sumidagawa wo nisetaru niwa (Miniature version of the Sumida River)	12.Nagori no haru no niwa (Garden with wistaria arbor)
13.Sekiheki no fumoto (Seaside garden)	14.Kikusui no niwa (Garden with chrysanthemum and water)	15.Asahiyama (Asahiyama)
16.Kuge monzeki (Court style garden)	17.Raigo no niwa (Raigo garden)	18.Kogarashi no mori (Cold wind wood)
19.Seiran no niwa (Misty garden)	20.Sonareyama no niwa (Sonareyama garden)	21.Sotetsu no niwa (Garden with cycad trees)
22.Iwaya no taki (Crags and casade)	23.Aioi no niwa (Garden with twin pines)	24.Afterword