Perspective

Perspective is crucial to understanding The Book of Tea. Author Kakuzo Okakura was born in a period of great change and cultural upheaval in Japan. In the late 19th century, Japan was undergoing a state-dictated period of modernization in order to "catch up" to the rest of the world, especially the West. Western attitudes, fashion, food, etc., were enthusiastically embraced by many in the race to modernize. However, there was a solid and outspoken minority who cautioned against modernization and the damage it was doing to Japanese heritage and appreciation for art and history. One of these conservatives was Okakura.

Okakura's purpose for writing The Book of Tea was to introduce curious Westerns to the peculiar Japanese tea ceremony tradition, and in so doing preserve what he considered a crucial part of Japanese culture. As an art historian and lifelong academician, Okakura is able to provide a considerable...