Customer Reviews

Green Tea Living: A Japan-Inspired Guide to Eco-friendly Habits, Health, and Happiness

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although this type of cross-cultural guide to "healthy green living" may not be everyone's cup of tea, if you finish the book, you realize that the core values and practical habits the author promotes in this book are consistent with those preached by your grandparents or great grandparents who weathered America's Great Depression ("Waste not, want not"). Some of the aphorisms mentioned in the book ("An 80%-full moderate diet keeps the doctor away") also evoke universal qualities.

I especially liked the ideas of using the oshibori wet hand towel (certainly, more sushi restaurants in the U.S. can adopt this custom!), the furoshiki eco-bag (origami-like magic wrapping cloth), and the yutampo hot water bottle, which has made a big comeback lately in Japan.

Also with some reference to the author's own intercultural journey, this is an excellent introductory guide to those who may want to visit Japan sometime in the future. In fact, this little book can keep boredom at bay during airport waiting time, and by the time your plane arrives at Narita Airport, you'll be armed with nifty traditional Japanese insights, which will be great ice-breakers during your trip as well. I highly recommend this book as a gift for all occasions.

I was surprised at how much fun I had reading Toshimi A. Kayaki's book, Green Tea Living. It's an easy, breezy read and that is its strength.

I like the way she introduces each chapter with a story. Her personal, unique Japanese perspective gives the book its delightful, sometimes exotic personality. This is an introduction to traditional, Japanese common sense, handed down from generation to generation, arriving here in the twenty first century to help its readers take a look at some of the basics of what is important in family and community.

With Kayaki's hints, it is "easy being green." You don't have to buy a hybrid Toyota. Try reusing and recycling. How about "Green Cuisine?" If you can find green tea or some of the food items she recommends, you are in for
tasty treats.

This book clearly illustrates a simple yet eye-opening way of how we can all begin to save energy, reduce waste, economize, and to become healthy by following some basic principles in our daily life. Being a housewife, I especially like the part of saving money.

Her examples and anecdotes from her own country (Japan) are well presented and easy to understand.
Paragraphs are short and often accompanied by illustrations, which helped me learn about the subjects.

I believe that this book can be a great starting point for many people who are interested in health and environment as well as saving money.

Toshimi Kayaki is a published author in Japan, and now, with the Green Tea Living(Stone Bridge Press,2009) release, in America too. Green Tea Living is a lovely book with creative, simple and good ideas for living Green. The methods of living Green vary from things like reusing Green tea leaves for household cleaning, exercising daily, her very own herbal remedies, to having a reasonable budget; all things to keep you happy and healthy.

Green Tea living would be a great gift for just about anybody. It's adorable language, and personal insights from Kayaki will bring you back to the pages of Green Tea Living after you've read it. Her idea's will stay with you and encourage you to live Green.

Her approach to being Green isn't complicated, nor will you have to buy anything, really(Except the book, of course!). It is all about what you already have at your disposal. Try it. Maybe not everything will appeal to you but at least a few of her ideas will.
Buy it, Read it, Love it.

I should clarify my scale:

1 star - not worth buying
2 stars - borrow it if you are curious
3 stars - worth reading once - but not necessary to keep
4 stars - worth owning
5 stars - should have a place on your shelf

I am an avid fan of Japanese culture and have a great deal of respect for Japanese traditions. This is a lovely little book, and, as mentioned by another reviewer, would make a wonderful hostess/travel gift. I wish somebody would give me a book like this as a little present! It is fairly expensive for the size and level of detail, and for people who have travelled extensively in Japan, not much of this may be new, but it is well-crafted and merits consideration as far as whether to purchase it.

Kudos to the author for spreading lots of positive information about how to be mindful of our environment, our homes, and our bodies.