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Review ------ For those of us who, for years, have loved and been influenced by Okakura's prose and philosophy, this new edition brings fresh in and clarity to the work. With sensitivity, admiration and profound appreciation for Okakura, Bruce Richardson unravels the complex and intriguing story that lies behind the original Book of Tea. All tea lovers will treasure this beautiful and valuable work. --Jane Pettigrew, London author Georgia O'Keeffe loved The Book of Tea. The similarities between her own life and the Japanese tea ceremony were obvious- her constant manner, her humility, her exactness, her utterly respectful exactness. --Christine Patten, author of Miss O'Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe loved The Book of Tea. The similarities between her own life and the Japanese tea ceremony were obvious- her constant manner, her humility, her exactness, her utterly respectful exactness. --Christine Patten, author of Miss O'Keeffe Okakura was such a charismatic genius he is called by the Japanese tensin which means teacher; which he certainly was. But they have no word for bridge person, any more than we do in English, yet this describes the essence of Okakura's life work. He bridged cultures that seemed worlds apart, interpreting Japan and Asian ways to the West and in Japan itself finally achieving the honored status of tensin. The Book of Tea is only the best known of his monuments. What a life story is now revealed to us! Bruce Richardson resurrects Okakura's life and times by means of exquisitely chosen and reproduced illustrations. It is rare for writing as exquisite as Okakura's to be illustrated just as exquisitely and this Benjamin Press Edition of The Book of Tea is in its own right a landmark in the art of bookmaking. We look through Mr. Richarson's educated eye at period photos and portraits from the time Okakura at 24 sailed from Yohohama to San Francisco in 1886. Already an enfant terrible in the Japanese art world, he was eager to discover new worlds - America and Europe - where his impact was to prove cely less epochal than it had been on his abandoned native soil. Richardson also shows us how Okakura inspired and influenced several generations of American genius--very much including Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe--through The Book of Tea. Why has all this been kept secret up til now? This new edition represents a work of generosity and love on the part of Bruce Richardson: It is a beautiful work of art in tribute to a beautiful work of art. --James Norwood Pratt's review in TeaTime magazine Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) From the Author --------------- Okakura Kakuzo was born in Yokohama in 1862, just as Japan was opening its doors to the West. As a teen, he became a student at the newly-organized Tokyo University where he served as interpreter and guide for countless intellectual Americans touring his country. His incredible journey took him from Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and Boston, where his life intertwined with such luminaries as Rabindranath Tagore, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La Farge, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse. He eventually came to Boston in 1904 to accept the position of Asian Arts director at the Museum of Fine Arts. He wrote three books – all in English. He was the spiritual advisor for Isabella Stewart Gardner and his writings influenced the work of such notable American artists as Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe. Bruce Richardson is a tea blender and writer who has been active in America's tea renaissance for over two decades. He is the owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas headquartered in Danville, Kentucky. Bruce serves as Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Contributing Editor for TeaTime and Tea Journey magazines. Bruce has authored fourteen books on tea, icluding The Great Tea Rooms of Britain, Tea & Etiquette, and The Book of Tea. He is a frequent guest speaker at tea events across the United States. Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); From the Inside Flap -------------------- Okakura Kakuzo was born in the bustling seaport of Yokohama in 1862, only eight years after Commodore Perry's "Black Ships" pried open Japan's international trade gates. Christian missionaries taught him to speak English and sing Methodist hymns, while Buddhist monks schooled him in Confucianism and drinking green tea. Working alongside his teachers at Tokyo University, all imported from New England, Okakura helped save Japan's artistic traditions from being tossed aside in favor of modern Western aesthetics. By the turn of the twentieth century, Okakura had made his way to Boston, where he became the Director of the Asian Arts Department at the Museum of Fine Arts and the favorite companion of Back Bay society's grande dame, Isabella Stewart Gardner. Okakura found tea to be the perfect metaphor for interpreting the Japanese art spirit to a Boston culture thirsty for a counterpoint to America's headlong rush into materialism and wealth. The Book of Tea was first published in 1906 and has never been out of print. It is one of the most influential books ever written for those looking to infuse the tea spirit into their lives. Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) From the Back Cover ------------------- Discover the fascinating character of Okakura Kakuzo and the story of how he came to write one of the twentieth century's most influential books on art, beauty, and simplicity--all steeped in the world's communal cup of tea. His incredible journey took him from Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and Boston, where his life intertwined with such luminaries as Rabindranath Tagore, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La Farge, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse. His writings influenced the work of such notable artists as Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keefe. American tea writer Bruce Richardson includes many historical photographs and illustrations in this updated edition of Okakura's classic text, along with unique in into how his philosophy continues to inspire today's tea culture. Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) About the Author ---------------- Okakura Kakuzo was born in Yokohama in 1862, just as Japan was opening its doors to the West. As a teen, he became a student at the newly-organized Tokyo University where he served as interpreter and guide for countless intellectual Americans touring his country. His incredible journey took him from Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and Boston, where his life intertwined with such luminaries as Rabindranath Tagore, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La Farge, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse. He eventually came to Boston in 1904 to accept the position of Asian Arts director at the Museum of Fine Arts. He wrote three books – all in English. He was the spiritual advisor for Isabella Stewart Gardner and his writings influenced the work of such notable American artists as Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe. Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) See more ( javascript:void(0) )