The Book of Tea

Okakura Kakuzo (Febr14, 1862 – Sep 2, 1913) was a Japanese scholar and a great contributor to Japanese art development. Abroad, he is mostly known as the author of The Book of Tea. Also he wrote works on Japanese culture like The Awakening of Japan. Outside of Japan, Okakura, directly or not, influenced a number of major figures in art and philosophy, like Martin Heidegger, poet Ezra Pound, and especially poet Rabindranath Tagore and heiress Isabella Stewart Gardner.

The Book of Tea is work by Kakuzo Okakura, designed mostly for western audience. From historical point of view, tea came to the west just recently. But in the east, in the land of its origin, it was known for millennia. What at first sight seems to be an ordinary drink is actually an entire cultural layer, that greatly influenced daily life of Japanese and Chinese folk long before it has conquered Britain. This volume is collection old and deep philosophy, wisdom and traditions, all of which can put into one short word – Tea.