Tsuboniwa, a traditional courtyard garden, is said to represent the ultimate
beauty of a Japanese garden. It fulfills important functions such as
ventilation and lighting but a more important element is that in spite of
their compact size, they are perceived as a place where one can relax and
feel comfortable. A wide variety of some eighty tsuboniwa examples from
Kyoto’s imperial court, shrines, temples and classical machiya townhouses
are introduced.