Explore the artistry of Japanese tea from cultivation to cup in this comprehensive illustrated guide to the tea industry that includes the Japanese growers, their craft of tea making, and how the tradition of tea has had an influence on cuisine, art, and health. This visual exploration of one of the world's most popular beverages tells the stories of tea and tea making in Japan: how it is grown, harvested, and processed, as well as how it is prepared and enjoyed. Through interviews with tea growers, information on health benefits from Dr. Andrew Weil, and amazing recipes from (Japanese chefs and mixologists), including Michelin-starred chef Hayashi Hirohisa and pastry chef Yoshie Shirakawa, you will discover all there is to know about Japanese tea. This perfect gift for tea lovers shares the stories of tea from its origins to the present, packaged in a beautiful photographic book shot and compiled by Zach Mangan, the founder of Kettl, a New York City- and Fukuoka, Japan-based tea and teaware company.

This classic of Japanese cultural studies explains the famous Japanese tea ceremony or cha-no-yu with great scholarship and clarity. In 1933, when A. L. Sadler's imposing book on the Japanese tea ceremony first appeared, there was no other work on the subject in English that even remotely approached it in comprehensiveness or detail. Having attained something of the stature of a classic among studies of Japanese esthetics, it has remained one of the most sought-after of books in this field. It is therefore both a pleasure and a privilege to make it available once again in a complete and unabridged digital version The tea culture book is abundantly illustrated with drawings of tea ceremony furniture and utensils, tearoom architecture and garden design, floor and ground plans, and numerous other features of the cha-no-yu. A number of photographic plates picture famous tea bowls, teahouses, and gardens.

Written in English by a Japanese scholar in 1906, ""The Book of Tea"" is an elegant attempt to explain the philosophy of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, with its Taoist and Zen Buddhist roots, to a Western audience in clear and simple terms. One of the most widely-read English works about Japan, it had a profound influence on western undertsanding of East Asian tradition.

The Japanese tea ceremony blends art with nature and has for centuries brought harmony to the daily life of its practitioners. Stories From a Tearoom Window is a timeless collection of tales of the ancient tea sages, compiled in the eighteenth century. Both longtime adherents and newcomers to the tea ceremony will be fascinated by these legends, anecdotes, bits of lore and history that so aptly express the essence of tea. Many of these stories center around the lives of the great tea masters. First among them is Sen no Rikyu, who perfected the tea ceremony and embodies its poise, modesty and refinement. Among the famous tales recounted here are those of Rikyu's morning glory tea ceremony and of his tragic death. Darker presences of the great warlords Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, who sponsored and also abused Rikyu, are manifest as well. Holding to the tea ceremony's core ideal of natural simplicity, author Shigenori Chikamatsu brings to the page stories which touch on the related arts of ceramics, poetry, Zen, calligraphy, and the origins of everyday items of Japanese life such as the cotton tabi split-toed socks and the bento lunchbox. Chapters include: Tearooms in the Old Days Flowers in the Tea Garden The Origins of Tea Iori's Tea Scoop Famous Lacquerers The Legacy of Rikyu's House The Tea Ceremony for Warriors

The material for this book has accumulated over twelve years of active practice in Japan's rite of tea of which the author has received full instructorship; two years of full-time employment at a traditional tea vendor in the heart of Uji, during which he studied for and passed the examination of the Nihoncha Instructor Association and received certification as accredited instructor; regular meetings with, and tea farm visits at the properties of skilled artisan tea manufacturers, encounters that have provided much insight in subjects as the struggles of tea farmers, the reality behind the manufacturing of tea, and the workings of the industry as a whole. In addition, for the past four years, the author has devoted his life to discovering the essence of tea through curating a special selection of tea, repeatedly talking to and interviewing tea manufacturers, gathering insider information about the industry, etc. in order to truthfully and openly make this information available internationally. The discoveries made, and the information gathered during such interactions is what constitutes the foundation for the material presented in this book, and it is with the wish to objectively portray what Japanese tea at its core and in essence is that this book has been brought to life.

The Book of Tea describes all aspects of the Japanese tea ceremony and explains how its rituals blend seamlessly with traditional Japanese life. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has an afterword by Anna Sherman and delightful illustrations by Sayuri Romei. This short book, written in English by a Japanese scholar and artist, was first published in 1906 at a time when Japan was opening up to Western culture. In response to that, Okakura Kakuzo set out to explain the beauty and simplicity of Japanese daily life which was greatly inspired by teaism. He describes in detail the different aspects of the tea ceremony, how it was founded, the role of the tea masters, the architecture of the tea-room and the stages of making and serving the tea. He then goes on to explain the connection between Taoism and Zennism with tea and he also writes chapters on art appreciation and the art of flower arranging.