IMHO you can't learn pruning of a Japanese garden from a book. I have been pruning JMs, conifers, etc. in Japanese gardens for over 5 years, taken dozens of courses, volunteered as a pruner and I still learn something every day.

My suggestion is that you hire a fine gardener or aesthetic pruner to act as a garden coach for you and teach you how.

Good luck!

etehiver,
I think "can't learn pruning from a book" is just too black and white.

I have been pruning for 20 years now but found the best advice in a recent book "Niwaki" by Jake Hobson.
Some of this let me think "o had I only known this before".

A must have.
Piet,

Here is a link that might be useful: Tsubo-en Literature list

Depends on how authentic-looking of a result you want, you can even buy ready made "poodles" from garden centers and simply shear the new growth back each year from that point on to maintain the effect.

Join a local bonsai club and apply the techniques to your intended outdoor subject. Some of your tools will be larger but not all. You may even discover that a bonsai or two adds a nice counterpoint in your summer garden.

Bonsai. The same pruning techniques are applied to full scale trees (the principal difference is that bonsai also require extensive root and repotting regiments).

Full size JP tree pruning is called ueki. You can search on the net for it. Potted / residential tree shaping is called niwaki.

Good resources for pruning techniques: bonsai4me.com and the forum at bonsainut.com

I'm a self-proclaimed bonsai-aholic. I strongly suggest reading up on branch shaping through bonsai mags and websites, to get the basic technique down.

If you can read French, get "La taille Japonaise en pratique" by Frederique Dumas.Use "Amazon.ca"
It's a fantastic book that will answer all your Japanese pruning questions. It a better book than Niwaki by Jake Hobson

You can also subscribe to the "Journal of Japanese Gardening" by Douglas Roth. Located in Maine USA

Good Luck
Joe

bboy, with all due respect.
Poodle pruning is easy.
There has to be more to Japanese pruning then that.
I have not pruned any J. Gardens my self.
But have been poodle pruning from age 12 till now.