Origins & Early Life

Okakura Kakuzō (岡倉 覚三; February 14, 1863 – September 2, 1913), also known as Okakura Tenshin (岡倉 天心), was a Japanese scholar and art critic who in the era of Meiji Restoration reform promoted a critical appreciation of traditional forms, customs and beliefs. Outside Japan, he is chiefly renowned for The Book of Tea: A Japanese Harmony of Art, Culture, and the Simple Life (1906). Written in English, and in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War, it decried Western caricaturing of the Japanese, and of Asians more generally, and expressed the fear that Japan gained respect only to the extent that it adopted the barbarities of Western militarism. The second son of Okakura Kan'emon, a former Fukui Domain treasurer turned silk merchant, and Kan'emon's second wife, Kakuzō was named for the corner warehouse (角蔵) in which he was born, but later changed the spelling of his name to different Kanji meaning "awakened boy" (覚三).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Okakura learned English while attending Yoshisaburō, a school operated by a Christian missionary, Dr. James Curtis Hepburn, of the Hepburn romanization system. Here, he became well-versed in the foreign language but couldn't read Kanji, the characters...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfred de Vigny — Contemporary (Died in 1863) (1863): French poet and early Romanticist, known for his plays and novels.
• Annie Jump Cannon — Contemporary (Born in 1863) (1863): Pioneering astronomer credited with the Harvard Stellar Classification Scheme.
• Austen Chamberlain — Contemporary (Born in 1863) (1863): Influential British statesman, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and key figure in early 20th-century politics.
• Albert Camus — Contemporary (Born in 1913) (1913): Philosopher and writer known for Absurdism, The Stranger, and The Plague.
• Albert Ellis — Contemporary (Born in 1913) (1913): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Alfred Russel Wallace — Contemporary (Died in 1913) (1913): Naturalist and explorer who independently conceived the theory of evolution.
• Andrei Sakharov — Shared historical date (12-14 · Died) (1989): Soviet physicist turned Nobel laureate and fierce advocate for human rights.
• Antony Beevor — Shared historical date (12-14 · Born) (1946): Acclaimed British military historian specializing in WWII and the Russian Revolution.
• Ahmad Shah Massoud — Shared historical date (09-02 · Born) (1953): Afghan military leader, known as the "Lion of Panjshir", fought against foreign occupations.
• Andrew Grove — Shared historical date (09-02 · Born) (1936): Visionary engineer and CEO who drove Intel to global semiconductor dominance.
• 1863 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1863
• December 14 (12-14) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 14
• 1913 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1913
• September 2 (09-02) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 2