Sen no Rikyu (千利休; 1522 - April 21, 1591) is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on the Japanese tea ceremony. Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... Events June - Capture of Zutphen by the Dutch under Maurice of Nassau. ... A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position on tatami. ...

A man of simple taste, he had a cultivated and disciplined lifestyle and defined the term wabi cha by emphasizing simplicity, rusticness and other humble qualities in the tea ceremony, which had been revolutionized by Ikkyu a century earlier. His first documented name was Yoshiro. Later his name was Soueki. In 1585 the Emperor Ogimachi ranked him a koji, which was the lowest rank of Buddhist hierarchy who hadn't yet become a priest but a pious faithful Buddhist, and from that time he was known as Sen no Rikyu Koji. In this article we call him Rikyu in general for simplicity. Portrait of Ikkyu by Bokusai Ikkyu (一休宗純 IkkyÅ« Sōjun) (1394-1481) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist priest and poet. ... Emperor Ōgimachi (正親町天皇) (June 18, 1517 - February 6, 1593) was the 106th imperial ruler of Japan. ... Kōji (弘治) was a Japanese Era after Temmon and before Eiroku and spanned from 1555 to 1558. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...

Biography

Early Years

Rikyu was born in Sakai in 1522 with the name Yoshiro. Yoshiro began his study of tea at an early age. His first teacher was Kitamuki Dochin, who taught tea in the traditional style suited to the shoin reception room. Later, he learned from Takeno Jo-o in the new style of the small, thatched tea house. Sakai (堺市; -shi) is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. ... Tea leaves in a gaiwan. ... Yugao-tei, Kanazawa Hiroshige Uragawa, Mariko, famous tea house, 21st view, The 53 relays of Tolaïdo series In Japanese tradition a tea house (茶室, chashitsu lit. ...

Daitoku-ji temple in northwest Kyoto has had a long, deep relation with tea. Yoshiro, like Shuko and Jo-o, underwent Zen training at Daitoku-ji as a Zen Buddhist. Thereafter, he changed his name to Sen Soueki, taking the family name of Sen from his grandfather's name, Sen-ami. Daitokuji redirects here. ... Kyoto Hall Mayor Yorikane Masumoto Address 〒604-8571 Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Teramachi-Oike, 488 Phone number 075-222-3111 Official website: Kyoto City This page is about the city Kyoto. ...

It was then that Rikyu composed the poem which dates from that time: "Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea, tea will drink you up." Without any spiritual training, you think you are drinking tea, but actually tea drinks you up.

Another well-known saying of Rikyu is: "The Way of Tea is naught but this: first you boil water, then make the tea; then you drink it properly." However, this can only be appreciated after strict training in the Way.

It was Rikyu who synthesized a unique way of life combining the everyday aspects of living with the highest spiritual and philosophical tenets. This has been passed down to the present as the Way of Tea.

Later years

From the age of 58, he served a daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, as a tea master. After the death of Nobunaga, he became the head tea master of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the de facto successor of Nobunaga. Hideyoshi continued Nobunaga's conquering policy and unified Japan after several years of civil wars. Ostensibly, in charge of tea, he actually wielded great influence with Hideyoshi in other matters as well. Daimyo Matsudaira Katamori visits the residence of a retainer. ... Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長 , June 23, 1534 - June 21, 1582) was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. ... Hideyoshi in old age. ...

When Hideyoshi hosted a tea at the Imperial Palace in 1585, Rikyu received the Buddhist title of koji from the Emperor Ogimachi, thus establishing his preminence among the practitioners of tea in Japan. 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ...

During this time, Chanoyu (so-called Tea Ceremony) came into contact with Christianity. Many missionaries came to Sakai and Kyoto, where they befriended Rikyu and the other teachers of tea. Among the seven principle students of Rikyu were three devout Christians: Furuta Oribe, Takayama Ukon, and Gamou Ujisato. A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position on tatami. ... Kyoto Hall Mayor Yorikane Masumoto Address 〒604-8571 Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Teramachi-Oike, 488 Phone number 075-222-3111 Official website: Kyoto City This page is about the city Kyoto. ... Dom Justo Takayama (1552 - 1615) was a daimyo born in the Yamato Province in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate. ...

Rikyu's extraordinary sense of beauty left a great imprint on the world of ceramics (raku), architecture, design and the myriad arts and crafts that are combined to create the world of tea. Rakuyaki (樂焼き) or Raku (樂) is a form of Japanese pottery characterized by low firing temperatures (resulting in a fairly porous clay body), lead glazes, and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. ...

Wabi-cha

In the later years of his life, Rikyu realized and practiced his ideal of Wabi-cha. With superb discrimination, he chose objects for use in the tearoom from among everyday utensils.

This revolutionary movement away from the reliance on imported Chinese utensils, begun by Jo-o, was continued by Rikyu. So excellent were his choices, they are still used as standards to this day.

It was Rikyu who instructed the Korean tile-maker Chojiro to create the novel tea bowls which have come to be known as Raku. Rakuyaki (樂焼き) or Raku (樂) is a form of Japanese pottery characterized by low firing temperatures (resulting in a fairly porous clay body), lead glazes, and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. ...

Rikyu's innovative architectural design and exemplary use of space are vividly displayed in his tea house Taian, at Myokian, near Kyoto. The Japanese government has declared it a National Treasure. There is the whole world of Rikyu, in a two-mat tea house.

As Rikyu neared the fulfillment of his tea, the Great Tea Gathering was held at Kitano Shrine in northwest Kyoto in October of 1587.

Hideyoshi proclaimed that rich or poor, high or low born might bring one pot for hot water and one bowl for tea, and attend the gathering . Over a thousand people from all walks of life assembled at the shrine. Hideyoshi erected a solid gold tea house while Rikyu used his preferred thatched hut. Thus both extremes of tea, the flamboyant utensil tea, and the restrained wabi tea were represented at Kitano. At this time, Hideyoshi and Rikyu were very close.

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