The study begins with two chapters which provide the necessary background - "The Japanese Garden and Its Cultural Context" and "Making the Landscape of Kyoto". The main body of the book describes 56 of the most important Kyoto gardens, arranged in groups by location. Each group is preceded by a map, or maps, showing the location of the gardens in that section of the city. The description of individual gardens is preceded by basic facts, such as the name of the temple in which the garden is located, when the garden was created, and visiting information. Descriptive texts examine the idiosyncrasies of each unique environment from diverse perspectives, including design and content, spatial context and philosophical and historical underpinning.