Audiobook · read by volunteers
Book of Tea
Kakuzō Okakura (1862–1913)
Read by Mike Rosenlof · 6 chapters · 2 h 05
About the book
Tea, says Kakuzo Okakura, is much more than a drink. It is a way of looking at the world. In this short and elegant book, written in English for Western readers, he explains how the simple act of preparing and sharing a bowl of tea grew into a philosophy of life in Japan, touching religion, art, architecture, flowers and the habits of daily living. He speaks of the tea room as a place of simplicity and peace, of the masters who shaped the ceremony, and of the ways East and West misunderstand each other. The tone is warm, witty and quietly proud. Six sections, a little over two hours, and a book that invites you to slow down and attend.
Introduction
Okakura Kakuzo, who lived from 1862 to 1913, was a Japanese scholar and art critic. Born and raised in Japan, he was trained from a young age to speak English, which he used for the rest of his life, and he became proficient at communicating his ideas to Western audiences. He worked to promote and preserve traditional Japanese art, and later spent time in the United States, where he was connected to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
The Book of Tea was written in English and first published in 1906. It has been republished many times since. In it Kakuzo introduces the term Teaism, which he describes as a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the everyday facts of life, and he shows how tea has affected nearly every aspect of Japanese culture, thought and life. The book is noted for being accessible to Western readers, and it is also an act of cultural explanation, written at a time when Japan was often misunderstood abroad.
It is made up of seven short essays, of which this recording presents six sections, the first two chapters being combined. A LibriVox volunteer reads it, and the whole lasts a little over two hours.
Why listen? Because the book is a concentrated pleasure. It is short enough to hear in one sitting and rich enough to return to, and its reflections on simplicity, imperfection and attention have lost none of their appeal.
Public domain
Kakuzō Okakura died in 1913: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text