133 pages
English language
Published Sept. 10, 1980 by C.E. Tuttle Co..
Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in the eighth century, it entered the realm of poetry as one of the polite amusements. The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism - Teaism. Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order.
I did not expect the the tone the book took from the very start. I thought it was only a book on tea. However, it took on subjects of Japanese culture in the aesthetic, moral and societal sectors. The author seems angry at time, or maybe I am misreading the tone, but it never felt too salty. It is a small enjoyable read that takes you on a bird's eye view around the topic.
Written in 1906 in English to introduce foreigners to Japanese (and more broadly East Asian) aesthetic philosophy, with a few problematic exceptions this short book remains surprisingly modern. Tying historical developments around aesthetic practices in the region to their modern descendants, Okakura provides a rich, thought-provoking philosophical view of beauty and life with strong counterpoints to traditional Western approaches. Highly recommend
Re-read, a classic that says a lot not only about the Tea Ceremony and teaism, but Japanese Culture.
