Book Review: Okakura Tenshin (1862–1913)

Nara and Kyoto were once the capitals of Japan and are places rich in history.

They are home to many shrines and temples, where valuable cultural treasures such as Buddhist statues were preserved.

Even today, these important cultural properties are carefully protected.

As a result, there was a movement to destroy Buddhist statues and other traditional artifacts.

Ernest Fenollosa, an American scholar, and his student Okakura Tenshin （岡倉天心1862-1913）worked hard to protect Japanese artworks.

Fenollosa himself was deeply moved by the beauty of Japanese art and devoted himself to preserving its cultural heritage.

In order to share the beauty of Japanese culture with the world, Okakura Tenshin wrote The Book of Tea, through which he introduced Japanese aesthetics to an international audience.

He dedicated his life to protecting Japan’s cultural treasures.

You may not know him, but European painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet were fascinated by his woodblock prints, which greatly influenced their art.

When I learned that such a great artist was not a perfect person, I felt a sense of closeness to him.

Reference:

This book includes furigana (phonetic readings) written above all the kanji characters, so intermediate to advanced learners of Japanese may be able to read it on their own.

Book Review: Okakura Tenshin (1862–1913)

Nara and Kyoto were once the capitals of Japan and are places rich in history.

They are home to many shrines and temples, where valuable cultural treasures such as Buddhist statues were preserved.

Even today, these important cultural properties are carefully protected.

However, in the early Meiji period, a belief spread that “the West is superior to everything.”

Fenollosa himself was deeply moved by the beauty of Japanese art and devoted himself to preserving its cultural heritage.

In order to share the beauty of Japanese culture with the world, Okakura Tenshin wrote The Book of Tea, through which he introduced Japanese aesthetics to an international audience.

He dedicated his life to protecting Japan’s cultural treasures.

You may not know him, but European painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet were fascinated by his woodblock prints, which greatly influenced their art.

As a side note, Hokusai was so absorbed in his work and disliked cleaning so much that he reportedly moved dozens of times whenever his room became too messy.

When I learned that such a great artist was not a perfect person, I felt a sense of closeness to him.

I believe that the idea that “the West is always the best” is mistaken.

Reference:

世界を変えた人たち

365→The 365 People Who Changed the World 365 (by Nobumoto Tajima, Nagaoka Publishing)

This book includes furigana (phonetic readings) written above all the kanji characters, so intermediate to advanced learners of Japanese may be able to read it on their own.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%82%92%E5%A4%89%E3%81%88%E3%81%9F%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A1365-%E7%94%B0%E5%B3%B6-%E4%BF%A1%E5%85%83/dp/4522431740/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_ja_JP=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8A&crid=190BT2XK3JKMD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gOc4YfuuQrxkFiFpI68NhqieOvXse8-XZe09fvXzPXtnDj_Wf5r3YqCGPQI1vxiDxwSh2ix1PpXe-9BTPssOdudVxSSMPIgC0MNgNE_Fvrs.NZYwjqM_ARoa1Ij5iHd1U3dcQjUPI-JDhPCQj1esUSs&dib_tag=se&keywords=%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%82%92%E5%A4%89%E3%81%88%E3%81%9F%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A1365&qid=1775481083&sprefix=%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%82%92%E5%A4%89%E3%81%88%E3%81%9F%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A1365%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1

Book Review: Okakura Tenshin (1862–1913)

Nara and Kyoto were once the capitals of Japan and are places rich in history.

They are home to many shrines and temples, where valuable cultural treasures such as Buddhist statues were preserved.

Even today, these important cultural properties are carefully protected.

However, in the early Meiji period, a belief spread that “the West is superior to everything.”

As a result, there was a movement to destroy Buddhist statues and other traditional artifacts.

Ernest Fenollosa, an American scholar, and his student Okakura Tenshin （岡倉天心1862-1913）worked hard to protect Japanese artworks.

Fenollosa himself was deeply moved by the beauty of Japanese art and devoted himself to preserving its cultural heritage.

In order to share the beauty of Japanese culture with the world, Okakura Tenshin wrote The Book of Tea, through which he introduced Japanese aesthetics to an international audience.

He dedicated his life to protecting Japan’s cultural treasures.

By the way, have you heard of Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎 1760–1849)?

You may not know him, but European painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet were fascinated by his woodblock prints, which greatly influenced their art.

When I learned that such a great artist was not a perfect person, I felt a sense of closeness to him.

I believe that the idea that “the West is always the best” is mistaken.