"Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things."This is just one of many serene scenes painted for us by…
Frank Lloyd Wright and The Book of Tea
Phoenix Hall, Uji, Japan c.1052. Photo by Bruce RichardsonHow did the Book of Tea help inspire architect Frank Lloyd Wright? The first siting of a Japanese building by Wright happened not while touring Japan in 1905.The setting was the Japanese exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.The Japanese pavilion (Ho-o-den), modeled after an 11th century…
Finding Tea Nirvana in the Shadow of Mt Fuji – Day 2
My second day of exploring tea in Shizuoka Prefecture took me along a circuitous route away from the coast and into mountains thickly forested with evergreens. All along the way, I spotted small plots of tea bushes growing alongside family homes, as if they were an extension of the vegetable gardens. When spring arrives, these…
Finding Tea Nirvana in the Shadow of Mt Fuji – Day 1
I hosted the Japanese American Society of Kentucky in my retail store on a Sunday morning in October where I gave a short lecture on Okakura Kakuzo and The Book of Tea. I ended my talk by telling my Japanese guests that I hoped very much to visit their country someday.Pay attention to what you…
Nelson Mandela’s Tea Cup Diplomacy
Nelson Mandela invited a South African general over for tea. Mandela had gotten word that the general was plotting an Afrikaner guerrilla war against multiracial rule, but the kindness of a cup of tea caught the general off guard and his warlike thoughts were purged by kindness.
Two Classic Tea Books of the 20th Century
Book of Tea, Edinburgh edition 1917Two landmark books on the subject of tea were published in the first half of the twentieth century. One, written by a William Ukers, was a massive two-volume reference set chronicling tea as a commodity. The other was an inspirational collection of essays from Japanese artist Okakura Kakuzo, who spoke…
Okakura Kakuzo’s Hut Rises following Tsunami
For students of tea, art and spirituality, there was one small story that escaped international attention during the massive devastation that took place along Japan's northwest coastline on March 11, 2011. Okakura Kakuzo's tiny seaside retreat Rokkakudo was washed out to sea during the tsunami that scoured much of the Pacific coast of Ibaraki Prefecture. But, there…