An analysis of “Engeiko” by Yokoi Tokifuyu, the first Japanese garden history text

Abstract

The present research focuses on “Engeiko” (1889) by Yokoi Tokifuyu, the first Japanese garden history text. Popular from the time of its publication throughout modern Japan, “Engeiko” has received mixed criticism based on later discoveries that have updated the knowledge on garden and garden texts. Through a careful reading and a thorough analysis of the text in connection with the relevant literature and the background of its publication, I reached the following main conclusions. First, in “Engeiko”, Yokoi Tokifuyu mentions as many as 103 gardens and 177 texts (from garden textbooks to poetry collections), providing valuable information on the way gardens and garden texts were understood in the middle years of the Meiji period (1868-1912). Second, “Engeiko” shows a revolutionary approach to the historical discourse, in which the intention is to summarise the characteristic features of the gardens built in each historical period and identify the predominant garden styles. This approach is still common in today’ s Japanese garden history discourse, and in this paper it was named “periodical style discourse”. Based on the above, we can conclude that “Engeiko” plays an essential role in understanding the garden literature and craft, both in the Meiji period and today.