Tea Blog

Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad tea, as we have good and bad paintings—generally the latter. There is no single recipe for making the perfect tea, as there are no rules for producing a Titian or a Sesshū. (Okakura Kakuzō)

As noted in this exploration of the multiple editions and legacy of The Book of Tea, it is difficult to think of a more influential work on tea than Okakura Kakuzō’s 1906 classic.

But beyond that well-known title, how much is widely known about the author himself? Okakura Kakuzō (1862–1913) was far more than a writer of a single influential book. In addition to The Book of Tea, he authored The Ideals of the East with Special Reference to the Art of Japan (1903) and The Awakening of Japan (1904), both written in the years leading up to his most famous work.

His life’s work, however, extended well beyond writing. Kakuzō was deeply involved in the world of art, playing a central role in the development of modern Japanese art institutions. He founded a major arts academy in Japan and was also associated with prominent cultural organizations, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Interestingly, while The Book of Tea centers on tea, Kakuzō’s deeper focus appears to be on aesthetics and cultural philosophy rather than the beverage itself. As noted in this scholarly interpretation of The Book of Tea and its place in Japanese cultural discourse, the work fits within a broader effort by the author to explore the history and meaning of art.

From that perspective, tea becomes a lens through which Kakuzō examines beauty, culture, and philosophy. This is reflected in statements throughout the book, such as “like Art, Tea has its periods and its schools,” and the idea that the tea master strives to become “art itself.”

Perhaps the most revealing insight into Kakuzō’s view comes in his famous opening passage:

“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.”

For further insight into his philosophy and artistic vision, see this lecture on Japanese art delivered by Okakura Kakuzō at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, as well as this academic article examining his influence on cultural and artistic thought.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea-related writing by the author.

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