Cha-no-yu, the tea ceremony, has fascinated Westerners since the 16th century, when they first arrived in Japan. Much more than the formal exercise in etiquette that its English name implies, the tea ceremony is an art, an appreciation of beauty shared among friends, which has governed much of the aesthetic life of the Japanese since its introduction at the end of the Muromachi period. Infused with the same spirit of Zen that has pervaded so much of Japanese art, the tea ceremony comprises the contemplation and spiritual satisfaction derived from architecture, landscape gardens, ceramics, painting, flower arrangement, cooking, and, of course, tea. This magnificently illustrated volume by one of Japan's contemporary tea masters is written specifically to provide the Western world with a deeper understanding of the complexities and inspiration of this art form, to reveal how the discipline of the ritual leads the individual to greater understanding and appreciation of the world around him. -- Book Jacket.