The Book of Tea

Year: 1906Author: OKAKURA Kakuzo

The Book of Tea is an essay by OKAKURA Kakuzo that discusses the history of tea and aesthetics in Japan. Written in response to the Russo-Japanese war, it is a counter-argument to the Western definition of Japanese culture, which had focused on the samurai spirit. It draws attention to the simplicity of Japanese aesthetics and criticizes Western idea of beauty. OKAKURA discusses ideas derived from Taoism and Zennism, and how these ideas are manifested in the ways of tea.

Topics for Discussion

• significance of place

• Japan's role in the world stage

• importance of where things came from

External Links

1. "The Book of Tea" at Wikipedia.

2. Full text at Project Gutenberg.