"For the Japanese especially, gardens are an essential part of their cultural identity and their history can be measured out in them. In a land of earthquakes and s, gardens are often more durable — and more easily repaired — than buildings. That is not to say that they are easy for the Western visitor to understand or appreciate. Of all the countries I have visited, Japan remains the most enigmatic, drawing you just so close but no further. The cultural divide in the garden — as in almost all other walks of life — remain huge."