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Top 10 gardens

• Ritsurin-koen, Takamatsu, Shikoku
  The largest and, I believe, the most beautiful of Japan's classical gardens, though for some reason Ritsurin-koen is not included in the "official" top three. Spread over 75ha, the garden comprises a whole range of carefully contrived but totally natural-looking tableaux - a series of scenes that unfold as the viewer follows the winding paths. The garden's size means it can swallow the crowds more easily, and the sense of space is enhanced by "borrowing" Shiun-zan; the nearby mountain blends seamlessly into the garden.
  
  
• Kenroku-en, Kanazawa
  Kenroku-en does feature among the "official" top three gardens, and rightly so. In fact, this magnificent garden is usually regarded as the best, but its tremendous popularity means you have to get there at crack of dawn to enjoy it.
  
  
• Shugaku-in Rikyu, Kyoto
  Kyoto has dozens of superb gardens, of which Konchi-in (see Kyoto top 10) is one of my favourites. Of the larger stroll-gardens, however, Shugaku-in Rikyu stands out for its hillside setting and expansive views. It's reckoned to be one of the finest examples of "borrowed scenery" in garden design.
  
  
• Katsura Rikyu, Kyoto
  While Shugaku-in Rikyu uses the natural sweep of a hillside, Katsura Rikyu is located on an unpromising bit of floodplain. Despite this handicap, the garden is quite phenomenal. Its focus is a large, highly indented lake, round which pretty teahouses, lanterns and rock formations are placed at strategic intervals to create a succession of ever-changing, ever-pleasing landscapes.
  
  
• Saiho-ji, Kyoto
  At the other extreme, the moss gardens of Saiho-ji take you into a damp, enclosed, secretive world. It's particularly beautiful after the summer rains of May-June, when the moss-carpet (some 120 varieties in all, though I haven't counted) turns an electric green.
  
  
• Ryoan-ji, Kyoto
  This is perhaps Japan's most famous - certainly its most enigmatic - garden, even though all it consists of is a large rectangle of white gravel, 15 stones and some moss (which probably weren't even in the original design). The purpose of these "dry gardens" was to assist Zen monks in their meditation. It's worth going to see, though meditation is out of the question these days thanks to the crowds and taped announcements. (Other dry gardens to visit in Kyoto are Daisen-in and Ryogen-ji, both in Daitoku-ji temple, and Kinkaku-ji.)
  
  
• Suizenji-koen, Kumamoto, Kyushu
  This is another garden which you need to get to early. I arrived as the gates opened (8am) on a winter morning. The grass was burnt brown from lack of rain, but in compensation there was a veil of early-morning mist over the pond and I was on my own, save for a heron eyeing up its breakfast minnows.
  
  
• Joei-ji, Yamaguchi
  Joei-ji is tucked away at the western end of Honshu and, as a result, receives relatively few visitors. The garden consists of a lovely, lily-covered pond surrounded by trees, and a dry garden, in this case an undulating lawn dotted with rocks. It was designed by Sesshu, a fifteenth-century painter famed for his monochrome landscapes. You can see his artist's touch everywhere.
  
  
• Hokoku-ji, Kamakura
  As in Kyoto, the temples of Kamakura boast some attractive gardens. Many are known for a particular flower, but Hokoku-ji's garden is a simple grove of evergreen bamboo. On a sunny day it becomes a lovely dappled forest of gently swaying, creaking canes.
  
  
• Fujita Kinen Teien, Hirosaki
  Hirosaki is on the northern tip of Honshu, where winters are pretty fierce. This particular garden was laid out in 1919 around the villa of a wealthy local businessman. It's quite unusual in its design: it consists of three distinct sections running down a steep hillside, incorporating many classical references with a more open, European-style area of lakes and lawns.