The Beautiful Foolishness of Things

"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…

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…