Places, Images, Times & Transformations

Okakura Tenshin

1862-1913). Pen name of Okakura Kakuzō. Art critic, philosopher, and interpreter of the East to the Western world; known primarily for his attempts to protect and restore traditional Japanese art forms. After traveling to Europe and America in 1886 to study Western art and art education, he helped found Japan's first offical art academy, Tōkyō Bijutsu Gakkō (now Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music), which opened in 1889. He later became curator of the Imperial Household Museum (now the Tokyo National Museum). He also lectured and traveled in the United States and Europe to educate the West about Asian culture. His books include The Ideals of the East (1903), The Awakening of Japan (1904), and The Book of Tea (1906). (adapted from Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993)

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