Title: Poems by Baisao Author: Baisao Translation: Roger Pulvers Publisher: Nahoko Press Format: Letterpress 32 pages. 13 × 21 cm Year: 2019 Language: English ISBN978-4-9908385-1-5
Poems by Baisao is a letterpress book featuring six poems on tea, nature, and simplicity by Baisao (1675–1763), known as the Old Tea Seller, a former Zen monk who lived and sold tea on the streets of Kyoto.
The poems offer a glimpse into Japanese tea culture, the world of sencha (green tea), and 18th-century Kyoto, where places such as Sanjusangendo Temple and Tofuku Temple appear in Baisao’s poetry.
A slim volume with a minimal aesthetic, limited to 1,000 copies and letterpress printed on bamboo paper with a soft cover. 32 pages. 5 × 8 in (130 × 210 mm). A thoughtful book for those drawn to Kyoto, curious about the history and culture of Japanese tea, and open to discovering how a simple cup of tea can hold something more.
