( 3 reviews )
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Posted: Dec 22 2008
Like Chado this great undertaking in both the original and its translation are labors of love and I recommend the book to anyone even mildly interested in the art of tea and perhaps even more significantly to those who are interested in Japan. The tea ceremony permeates virtually all aspects of Japanese life and although this expertly written and translated work is not a how-do-do book it most certainly is a how-to-understand (and appreciate) book. Every time I pick it up I discover something that deepens my knowledge of tea and of Japan. Just last night was my last tea lesson of the year - a very wonderful occasion. I wish all of you could have shared a bowl of tea with me.
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( 4 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 8 2007
This book is reference work. It contains information about the seasonal topics of Japanese Tea. It is not for beginners. It is for people with alot of experience with tea, and preferably knowledge about chaji.
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( 10 of 11 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 29 2006
I would reccommend this book for students studying the Japanese tea ceremony. This month by month guide tells which flowers, foods, pottery and poetry are appropriate for each month and season. It also has lists of all the important days of every month and gives key words and phrases asscociated with each month. It has some history regarding tea masters and it has a great glossary which gives the meaning of many tea words. This is a beautiful, useful and well written book if you are planning an actual ceremony...However, I must warn anyone considering buying this book of a few things: This book DOES NOT teach you how to perform a tea ceremony! This very thick book does not have many pictures other than a few dozen small black and whites of various scrolls and ancient art. There is not much in this book regarding different types of matcha. This book does not have photos of the many (and fairly expensive) tools you will need to make matcha the traditional way...In fact, if you have never taken a tea lesson I would hesitate reccommending this book. I had no idea what most of this meant until I took lessons! I have been taking tea lessons for about two months and TRUST ME when I say, it's practically impossible to learn how to do a proper tea ceremony from any book! (It would be like trying to learn martial arts by watching TV!) Most teachers will tell you this too. You learn the steps of a ceremony with your body and not just your mind. Other students in my class have been taking lessons for over ten years and are still perfecting their skills. The tea ceremony is a wonderful, relaxing and fun hobby. Like any fine art, it takes years of practice, patience and dedication to get really good at it. Please don't let this discourage you from learning or reading about tea ceremonies. Green tea can bring you a lot of joy and many health benefits! I made matcha lots of times before I ever took lessons and I always had fun but nothing compares to learning how to do it correctly. Overall, if you already have a fair amount of knowledge about tea you will really appriciate this wonderful book. If you know nothing about tea you might feel a little lost and may be better off with a more basic Japanese tea book. Either way, it is a very rewarding and most beautiful hobby. I encourage anyone who is interested to learn more about it. Tea ceremonies are truly the kind of thing you can keep learning more and more about for as long as you live and you may learn a lot about yourself in the process!
