Introduction to The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo

Chapter One of The Book of Tea (1906) establishes the book’s overall purpose. Philosopher Kakuzo Okakura, explains that beginning in the fifteenth century, the Japanese transformed tea, a centuries-old Chinese beverage, into an art of the beautiful. The tea ceremony, with its precise rules of etiquette, became a refined, yet humble, way to contemplate beauty and to experience harmony with other people. It is a simple, pure, and peaceful art that all can participate in, whatever their station in life. It is a path to perfection in an imperfect world.

With humor touched with gentle sarcasm, Okakura spends roughly the first third of his opening chapter discussing the absurd misconceptions that people of the West and the East have for one another. He argues that despite the misunderstandings and prejudices that exist between the two civilizations, the East has at least been willing to learn from the West. He asks: When will the West try to understand the East?

Okakura finds hope for mutual global understanding in tea. Tea is the cup of humanity. The people of Europe and America love tea as much as do the Japanese. Okakura brings up examples of enthusiastic tea drinkers from British history. He also reminds Americans that our independence movement was set in motion with the Boston Tea Party, a protest against high taxes on tea imposed by Imperial Britain. By explaining Teaism–the art of the tea ceremony–Okakura seeks to awaken an appreciation for Japanese culture.