Book of Tea

First thoroughly annotated edition of The Book of Tea, the most important book on tea in the culture of Asia and the tea ceremony, with particular regard to Japan. A classic study of Japanese culture, still widely read over a century after its first publication. Accompanied by a very important essay on Okakura by Gian Carlo Calza who traces the biography and the cultural achievements of the treat Japanese scholar, more loved in the West than in his own countryThe Book of Tea (1906) by Okakura Kakuz, has long become a classic. Its title notwithstanding, the book is not a manual on tea. Rather it is an essay, better a hymn, to culture, aesthetics and the spirit of tea as a symbol, a paradigm, of the Asian soul. It was created by a passionate Japanese scholar whose life was devoted to renew and spread the values of the East in the same moment in which his own country seemed to deny them in order to embrace Western culture. This new edition has an important apparatus of over 200 notes to explain the contents of the book and supply all the information needed to understand it fully (concepts of Eastern philosophy, history, geography, biographical information), something that so far has never been done. It also contains an important essay by Giancarlo Calza on Okakura and his role to foster intercultural understanding and the development of spirituality through the aesthetics and practice of the tea ceremony as a style of life.

Editorial Reviews

„A beautiful work of art in tribute to a beautiful work of art.“ — Norwood Pratt, San Francisco

„For those of us who, for years, have loved and been influenced by Okakura’s prose and philosophy, this new edition brings fresh insight and clarity to the work. With sensitivity, admiration and profound appreciation for Okakura, Bruce Richardson unravels the complex and intriguing story that lies behind the original Book of Tea. All tea lovers will treasure this beautiful and valuable work.“ — Jane Pettigrew, London

„I had read about Okakura and visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, but never realized the importance of the relationship between the two and how they embodied the bridge between East and West. Nor, until now, had I taken the time to read the entire book. How I wish that I had read it before I visited Japan where I learned that ‘Zen is another word for tea.’ The chapter titled The Cup of Humanity contains a sentence that seems ripped from today’s headlines, ‘The heaven of modern humanity is indeed shattered in the Cyclopean struggle for wealth and power… Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea.’ I’m resisting the urge to swallow this book whole, and forcing myself to savor it one cup of tea at a time.“ — Elizabeth Knight, author of Tea with Friends
– From the Publisher