Often, small books like this aren’t really worth reviewing. At least not in terms of their informational merit and use as reference material.
I picked up this slim volume alongside a couple other vintage books on Japanese tea at a used bookstore sometime last year. I was drawn in by the simple, aged cover and the green and yellow artwork decorating every couple of pages (credited to Shiba Sumitani). It makes for a handsome little volume on my shelf.
Having had this book sitting on my shelf for quite a while now, I kept passing it over for newer, more exciting acquisitions. I finally pulled it out to finish over a short busride.
Sen Soshitsu XV, the Fifth Grandmaster of the Urasenke School, wrote this account back in the 1970s. It sat comfortably beside Okakura Kakuzo’s The Book of Tea on my shelf, and I think picking up one is a good enough excuse to pick up the other. Neither are long reads. They’re not similar in content necessarily, but both are introspective looks on culture and East meets West. Continue reading
