The Book of Tea By Kakuzo Okakura. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017. 68 pp. Price: $4.89 (Paperback) and $0.0 (Kindle).

Abstract

Japanese people who love to live in Cambodia tend to admire Khmer culture and people. However, in their body and mind, Japanese people strongly adhere to their own culture from birth. A book has been written demonstrating what this culture is. Its name is “The Book of Tea”. Author, Kakuzo Okakura originally wrote “The Book of Tea” to a Western audience in the English language in the early 20th century. Okakura, who was Japanese first published his book in 1906 in New York. It was also published in Sweden, Germany, France and Spain. In 1929, the book was translated to Japanese and has since been republished 118 times. Tea is the title of the book, but it is not about only tea. In the book, Okakura explains the term “Teaism”, which refers to the influence of tea in many aspects of Japanese culture, ways of thinking, and life. While it was first published long ago, the ideas of the book have not dated. Many Japanese read and understand the analysis of the author as it relates to situations in Japan in 2020.