Douglas Brooks Public Lecture - Ways of Learning; Building the Japanese Teahouse

Douglas Brooks, a boatbuilder, writer, and researcher, taught a 2026 Winter Term course entitled Building the Japanese Teahouse. In this talk he will describe the course and the pedagogy behind it, drawn from his years studying in Japan. His talk will touch on the nature of apprentice learning and its contrasts with western modes of education, and reflect on his experiences teaching this class at colleges nationwide. He will also discuss the aesthetics and architecture of Japanese tea ceremony.