The Book of Tea

Okakura Kakuzō

The Book of Tea — The Book of Tea, one of the great English-language classics on tea, is a long essay about the connection between teaism, Taoism, and the aesthetics of Japanese culture. It was written by Okakura Kakuzō in English and was published in the United States in 1906. The essay targets a Western audience and seeks to explain the importance of tea in Japanese culture, not just as a beverage, but as a form of art expressed in different aspects. After a brief introduction of the Western attitude towards tea, Okakura demystifies the admiration of the Japanese people for this green plant by presenting the different schools of tea, its connection to Zen philosophy, and how it has affected the arts. The famous tea ceremony and its rigid formalities are explained, together with the contributions of the great tea-masters. The Book of Tea is an influential introduction to Eastern culture and philosophy for Western readers. Okakura encountered the English language and Western thought early in life and later worked at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, becoming head curator of its Chinese and Japanese Department in 1910.

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