The Book of Tea - by Kakuzo Okakura (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Transcending the narrow confines of its title, The Book of Tea presents a unified concept of life, art, and nature...exploring topics related to tea appreciation, including Zen, flower arranging, and Taoism." --The Japan Times

Now available in paperback--with new photographs and a fresh foreword--this timeless classic by Okakura Kakuzo continues to inspire readers around the world. Far more than a meditation on tea, this book is a profound reflection on Japanese aesthetics, Zen Buddhism, and the art of finding beauty in the everyday.

Originally written in 1906 to be read aloud in the salon of Boston's famed art patron Isabella Stewart Gardner, The Book of Tea was Okakura's impassioned response to the Western world's growing misunderstanding--and disregard--of Japanese culture. A philosopher, curator, and early cultural preservationist, Okakura sought to bridge East and West, introducing a global audience to the subtle philosophies that shaped Japanese life.

Rather than focusing solely on the tea ceremony, Okakura explores the spiritual and philosophical worldview behind it, drawing connections between Teaism, Zen, Taoism, art, architecture, and poetry. At its heart, The Book of Tea invites readers to cultivate a mindful awareness of simplicity and beauty in the small moments of daily life.

This edition includes:

• A new foreword by Andrew Juniper, author and expert on wabi-sabi aesthetics
• An introduction by Liza Dalby, the first American woman trained as a geisha
• New photographs highlighting the quiet elegance of the tea tradition

More than a century later, The Book of Tea remains a beloved classic--a lyrical and deeply relevant guide to the art of living. For anyone drawn to Japanese culture, mindfulness, or the philosophy of beauty, this is essential reading.

Review Quotes

"Now in paperback with a new foreword and new photographs, The Book of Tea is a classic work by Okakura Kakuzo that has inspired many generations of readers by illuminating the underlying spirit and message of the venerable Japanese tea masters." --Midwest Book Review

"Transcending the narrow confines of its title, presents a unified concept of life, art and nature. Along the way exploring topics related to tea appreciation, including Zen, flower arranging and Taoism. An early cultural activist, Okakura's mission was to preserve Japanese art and aesthetic practices from an extinction that seemed imminent." --Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times

"While on the surface, the book is about tea and the way of tea...it is much more than that. It is also about the higher aspects of Japanese culture, like Zen, samurai and history...for those seeking to go deeper into the refinements of Japanese culture, this is a book I would recommend as required reading, whether a person drinks tea or not." --Teas.com.au

"In some ways, times haven't changed much in the 99 years since Kakuzo Okakura, the Japanese aesthete, gifted the local elite of Boston with his now-legendary explication of the beauties of the tea ceremony, The Book of Tea." --Elle Decor

"Originally written to be read aloud by the author at Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous salon in 1906, the book focuses on the culture that has engendered the mind of tea and on the Masters who embody this spirit." --Gourmet Retailer

About the Author

Okakura Kakuzo was born near Tokyo and learned English in his infancy, refining his linguistic skills at the Institute for Foreign Studies in Tokyo. Later he went on to study Oriental Arts at the Tokyo Imperial University. Okakura lived in America for several years where he served as Curator of the Department of Chinese and Japanese art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He was instrumental in the acquisition of much of that museum's exemplary collection of Eastern art.

Foreword to the Original Edition by:
Elise Grilli lived and worked in Tokyo for many years. She was an art critic for the Japan Times and published several books on Japanese art including Golden Screen Paintings of Japan and Japanese Picture Scrolls.

New Foreword by:
Andrew Juniper lives in West Sussex, England where he runs the Wabi-Sabi Art Gallery. He also works as a translator for UK and Japanese government bodies.

New Introduction by:
Liza Dalby is an author and anthropologist who, in the 1970s, became the first American woman to become fully trained as a geisha. Her publications include Geisha and the novel The Tale of Murasaki.