Okakura Tenshin
Okakura Tenshin was a Japanese scholar and art critic known for defending traditional forms, customs, and beliefs during the Meiji Restoration reform.
Teacher
1862
September 02, 1913
51
Yokohama, Japan
Okakura Tenshin (1862-1913), also known as Okakura KakuzÅ, was a prominent Japanese scholar, artist, and writer who played a crucial role in promoting and preserving traditional Japanese art and culture during the Meiji era. He is best known for his book “The Book of Tea: A Japanese Harmony of Art, Culture, and the Simple Life” (1906), which delves into the history, philosophy, and aesthetics of Japanese tea culture. Other significant works include “The Ideals of the East”, “The Awakening of Japan”, “Chado: The Way of Tea”, and “The Appreciation of Japanese Painting”. Tenshin’s writings, in both Japanese and English, portrayed Japan as the defender and preserver of Asia against the cultural, economic, and political influences of the West. His life and work are also the focus of the biopic “Tenshin” (2016).
An intriguing aspect of Okakura Tenshin’s life is that he was a Japanese scholar and art critic who staunchly defended traditional forms, customs, and beliefs during the Meiji Restoration reform.
