Size: 160 × 128mm
Pages: 256pp. (Full color)
Binding: Hardbound

The Book of Tea was originally written in English by Kakuzo Okakura
in 1906. Since then, it has been recognized, together with Bushido, as
one of the most important books written by Japanese authors in
English in the early 20th century. The Book of Tea is said to be the
definitive guide to Japanese aesthetics. Okakura expresses the
sublimity of a non-Christian culture at a time when Christianity was
the dominant religion and cultural tradition. At the same time, Okakura
prays for a world in harmony under mutual understanding between
the West and the East. The Book of Tea is not a book on how to
conduct a tea ceremony. Instead, it introduces aesthetic and cultural
aspects of Japanese life to Western audiences through Teaism by
elucidating the Japanese tea ceremony’s relationship with Zen,
Taoism and Kado, and, more broadly, through a discussion of
Japanese aesthetic principles, the essence of art and the true
meaning of life.
This concept is visually enhanced by photographs taken by Yasuhiro
Okawa, offering readers the opportunity to appreciate a richer
experience of the world presented in The Book of Tea.