Japanese stone gardens provide tranquil settings where visitors can shed the burdens and stresses of modern existence, satisfy an age-old yearning for solitude and repose, experience the restorative power of art and nature. For this reason the value of the Japanese stone garden today is arguably even greater than when many of them were created. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the powerful mystique and dynamism of Japanese stone gardens - from their earliest use as props in animistic rituals, to their appropriation by Zen monks and priests to create settings conducive to meditation and contemplation and finally to their contemporary use and meaning. With insightful text and abundant imagery, this book reveals the hidden order of stone gardens and in the process heightens the enthusiast's appreciation of them.