The Tea Ceremony

Written by one of Japan's contemporary tea masters, this illustrated text takes a comprehensive look at the sources and inspiration of the ancient Japanese tea ceremony. The ceremony is traced from its earliest origins to the present day, and the individuals who helped it to evolve are studied. In Japan, serving tea is an art and a spiritual discipline. As an art, the tea ceremony is an occasion to appreciate the clean lines of the tea room's design, the feel of the bowl in the hand, the company of friends, and a simple moment of purity. As a discipline, it has roots in the

SEN'O TANAKA was born in 1928, the grandchild bf Sensho Tanaka, founder of the Japan Association of the Tea Ceremony (Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai). A graduate of the Tokyo Higher Mercantile Marine School, he studied Chinese literature at Nisho Gakusha University, and did graduate work in Oriental philosophy at Waseda University, where he earned a master's degree. Mr. Tanaka became the president of the Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai in 1961. In 1990, he became the senior executive director of the Santoku-an Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the tea association. He is the publisher of the monthly magazine Chado no Kenkyu (Studitis in the Tea Ceremony) and regularly contributes articles to the journal. He is the author of several books on the tea ceremony, including Chado Nyumon Handobukku. SENDO TANAKA was born in 1958, the eldest son of Sen'o Tanaka. After receiving a master degree in sociology from the University of Tokyo, he went abroad to study at Universite Laval in Quebec. In 1988, he became vice president of the Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai and the following year became a lecturer at Nihon University. He now teaches the art of tea at the association and lectures at Keio University. He has published several works, including the book Usucha no Temae.