Stephanie Jane reviewed The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura
A fascinating insight
4 stars
The Book of Tea, first published back in 1906, is a short, but deeply thought-provoking read. In it Kakuzo Okakura examines in detail how the drinking of tea, with its associated rituals and customs, has influenced all aspects of Japanese culture over the centuries including their art, architecture and minimalist interior decor. Okakura quotes a number of famous tea-masters, interpreting their ideas for a Western audience, and also gives a history of tea cultivation in China and then in Japan. I had no idea that the leaves were originally pounded and made into a cake, before being repeatedly boiled with salt! With that concoction as a beginning, it's amazing that tea drinking ever caught on anywhere, let alone gaining its current popularity.
I loved the chapters evoking the restrained elegance of the true Japanese tea room. Having once experienced a Westernised example in San Francisco I could get some way …
The Book of Tea, first published back in 1906, is a short, but deeply thought-provoking read. In it Kakuzo Okakura examines in detail how the drinking of tea, with its associated rituals and customs, has influenced all aspects of Japanese culture over the centuries including their art, architecture and minimalist interior decor. Okakura quotes a number of famous tea-masters, interpreting their ideas for a Western audience, and also gives a history of tea cultivation in China and then in Japan. I had no idea that the leaves were originally pounded and made into a cake, before being repeatedly boiled with salt! With that concoction as a beginning, it's amazing that tea drinking ever caught on anywhere, let alone gaining its current popularity.
I loved the chapters evoking the restrained elegance of the true Japanese tea room. Having once experienced a Westernised example in San Francisco I could get some way towards imagining a truly authentic structure and marvelled at the care and ingenuity with which a tea master would prepare the space for guests. The ceremony did feel religious in tone, a concept underscored by Okakura's comparisons of traditional Teaism with Taoism. All in all, The Book of Tea is a fascinating insight into a beautifully enigmatic way of life which allowed me a greater understanding of its origins. The language is perhaps somewhat over-flowery and dated for the modern reader, but I felt that this did actually work well in conjunction with the history it reveals.
