The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set: Explore the Mysteries and Traditions of the Ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony [Box set] [Hardcover]

Anthony Mann-Tu Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Tea making in Japan has a mystique that is a world apart from the hurried drink that is enjoyed in the West. Sado - the Way of Tea - is a highly stylized ritual that was formally established in the late sixteenth century by the master Sen-Rikyu. While the fundamentals of the ceremony were laid down by the Samurai, the esthetic comes from the austerity and grace of Zen Buddhism. The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set is designed to bring a little calm and grace into your life by offering the chance to experience a simple form of relaxation that enhances self-awareness and social relationships. It will give you the opportunity to escape for an hour and immerse yourself in the elegant traditions of japan. To start you on your journey into the world of tea, the pack offers both the basic equipment and clear step-by-step instructions for carrying out your own tea ceremony at home, incorporated into a beautifully presented gift box. All that is needed for a splash of Eastern culture is the addition of hot water. Included in the pack are - A traditional Japanese teacup, a packet of matcha - powdered green tea, a bamboo whisk, and a beautifully illustrated book which explores the history and culture of Japan, the esthetics of tea, and the status of the tea ceremony in Japan today, together with over 100 illustrations and helpful diagrams.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The problem with gift books is that you always feel guilty getting one for yourself. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a small book that comes in a big box--along with a traditional style cup, an unbelievable whisk fashioned from a single piece of split bamboo, and a packet of powdered green tea. But the book outshines even these accoutrements. Anthony Lee studied the art and philosophy of the tea ceremony with a master in Japan for eight years. Having also researched Chinese and Vietnamese versions, Lee imparts his wisdom and knowledge with reverential fondness. In addition to a succinct history of tea and the tea ceremony, Lee introduces two of Japanese art and spirituality's most important concepts, wabi (understated elegance) and sabi (serenity). He also describes in detail each item involved in tea ceremony and step-by-step instructions for performing it on your own (with a guest, of course). Lushly illustrated, The Japanese Tea Ceremony makes an ideal gift, and if you indulge in one for yourself, we won't tell. --Brian Bruya

About the Author

Anthony Man Tu-Lee was born in Canada but has been pursuing his Asian roots since he was a child. He lived in a small town at the foot of Mount Fuji, Japan, where he studied the forms, philosophy and history of the Japanese tea ceremony with a monk in Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. He is now actively involved in teaching Asian culture, performing and teaching the tea ceremony in Canada.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1862045909
• ISBN-13: 978-1862045903
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,551,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, disappointing kit, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set: Explore the Mysteries and Traditions of the Ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony (Hardcover)

This book was a pleasure to read. It is replete with pictures and diagrams, and explains the tea ceremony with reverence and clarity. However, I must say that I was very disappointed in the quality of the accompanying materials. The kit includes only about 1 teaspoon of the powdered tea, and this tea was of very poor quality- rather than a bright green color, it was a dark brownish color, not ground very finely, and in no way had the characteristic matcha taste. Having had the benefit of having tried "authentic" quality matcha tea before, I can definitely see and taste a huge difference in quality. The bamboo whisk was of fair quality, and the terra cotta bowl is not one I plan on using. In sum, I do like the book because it is very informative, but I would suggest that people looking for the tea brewing supplies (especially the tea) look beyond this kit because of the poor quality of the materials.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set, November 22, 2000

By 

"jaq43" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set: Explore the Mysteries and Traditions of the Ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony (Hardcover)

The book is informative and nicely produced, but the tea kit which comes with it (which was a main reason for buying the set rather than just a book) was worse than a disappointment. It was simply unusable. The tea bowl (chawan) was of unglazed terra cotta which acts more like a sponge than a vessel, and it is too small for the essential whisking of the tea and not even the proper size of a true chawan. The packet of tea itself was of terrible quality, gray and full of stems, not the fine bright chlorophyl green powder that is matcha of even the lowest grade. So the "matcha" is not matcha and the chawan is not a chawan by any stretch of imagination. Furthermore, the whisk might work if the bowl were large enough, but it, like the other items, is crude and inelegant, which is totally against the spirit of Chanoyu. If one is unable to make and drink the tea how can one experience tea ceremony, even on a trial basis? It absolutely gives the wrong impression of what the tea ceremony is, in spite of the author's grasp of the subject. In the meantime, I have since undertaken studies at Urasenke Chanoyu Center, and know whereof I speak. Caveat to the curious.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Inauthentic, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Japanese Tea Ceremony Gift Set: Explore the Mysteries and Traditions of the Ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony (Hardcover)

If it were possible, I would have given this set a negative star rating.

The book itself may have a redeeming quality. However the accompanying items [ostensibly a teabowl, a whisk, and a packet of green tea] have not the remotest possiblity of being functional, much less authentic, within the context of the Way of Tea ("Japanese Tea Ceremony"). To begin with, the small size and rough material of the bowl render it non-functional for traditional whisking of powdered green tea; then the coarseness of the whisk renders it incapable of producing the marvellous frothy beverage that powdered green tea is; last, the packet contains a substance that shares not a single quality with powdered green tea -- a point which renders the first two objections moot.
This gift set is a cynical rip off of traditional cultures and trusting readers. Buyer beware.