First published in 2006. The tea cult, commonly called the tea ceremony in English of cha-noyu in Japanese, is an aesthetic pastime that features the serving and drinking of powdered green tea. An art unique to Japan, the tea cult has played an important role in the artistic life of the Japanese people and nation for more than four hundred years, born under the influence of Zen Buddhism. With detailed explanations and the accompanying illustrations, the reader will be able to obtain insight into this classical art.

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.

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.

This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of more than 10.000 words about the history and basics of Buddhism, written by Thomas William Rhys Davids The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo (1906), is a long essay linking the role of tea (Teaism) to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of Japanese life. Addressed to a western audience, it was originally written in English and is one of the great English Tea classics. Okakura had been taught at a young age to speak English and was proficient at communicating his thoughts to the Western mind. In his book, he discusses such topics as Zen and Taoism, but also the secular aspects of tea and Japanese life. The book emphasizes how Teaism taught the Japanese many things; most importantly, simplicity. Kakuzō argues that this tea-induced simplicity affected art and architecture, and he was a long-time student of the visual arts. He ends the book with a chapter on Tea Masters, and spends some time talking about Sen no Rikyū and his contribution to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. (from wikipedia.com)

Examines the importance of Japanese tea culture and the ways in which it has evolved over the centuries, with photographs and detailed explanations of the Tea Culture of Japan exhibit organized by the Yale University Art Gallery.