, also known simply as Rikyū, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on ''chanoyu,'' the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspects of the ceremony, including rustic simplicity, directness of approach and honesty of self. Originating from the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

and the

Azuchi–Momoyama period The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nobuna ...

, these aspects of the tea ceremony persist. Rikyū is known by many names; for consistency, he will be referred to as Rikyū in this article. There are three ''

iemoto is a Japanese term used to refer to the founder or current Grand Master of a certain school of traditional Japanese art. It is used synonymously with the term when it refers to the family or house that the iemoto is head of and represents. Th ...

'' (''

sōke , pronounced , is a Japanese term that means "the head family ouse" In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term ''iemoto''. Thus, it is often used to indicate "headmaster" (or sometimes translated as "head of ...

''), or 'head houses' of the Japanese Way of Tea, that are directly descended from Rikyū: the

Omotesenke Omotesenke (表千家) is one of the schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Along with Urasenke and Mushakōjisenke, it is one of the three lines of the Sen family descending from Sen no Rikyū, which together are known as the san-Senke or "three Sen ...

Urasenke is one of the main schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Along with and , it is one of the three lines of the family descending from , which together are known as the - or the "three houses/families" (). The name , literally meaning "rear hous ...

, and

Mushakōjisenke , sometimes referred to as ''Mushanokōjisenke'', is one of the schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Along with Urasenke and Omotesenke, the Mushakōjisenke is one of the three lines of the Sen family descending from Sen no Rikyū, which together ar ...

, all three of which are dedicated to passing forward the teachings of their mutual family founder, Rikyū.

Early life

Rikyū was born in

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

in present-day

Osaka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...

. His father was a warehouse owner named , who later in life also used the family name Sen, and his mother was . His childhood name was ."The Urasenke Legacy: Family Lineage", in
Urasenke website
Accessed May 16, 2006. As a young man, Rikyū studied tea under the townsman of Sakai named Kitamuki Dōchin (1504–62), and at nineteen, through Dōchin's introduction, he began to study tea under

Takeno Jōō was a master of the tea ceremony and a well-known merchant during the Sengoku period of the 16th century in Japan. His name has come down in Japanese cultural history because he followed Murata Jukō as an early proponent of wabi-cha, and was ...

, who is also associated with the development of the wabi aesthetic in tea ceremony. He is believed to have received the Buddhist name from the

Rinzai Zen The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan E ...

priest Dairin Sōtō (1480–1568) of Nanshūji temple in Sakai. He married a woman known as Hōshin Myōju (d. 1577) around when he was twenty-one. Rikyū also underwent

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

training at

Daitoku-ji is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" ('' sangō'') by which it is known is . The Daitoku-ji temple complex today covers more ...

temple in Kyoto. Not much is known about his middle years.

Later years

In 1579, at the age of 58, Rikyū became a tea master for Oda Nobunaga and, following Nobunaga's death in 1582, he was a tea master for

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

. His relationship with Hideyoshi quickly deepened, and he entered Hideyoshi's circle of confidants, effectively becoming the most influential figure in the world of . In 1585, because he needed extra credentials in order to enter the Imperial Palace so that he could help at a tea gathering that would be given by Hideyoshi for

Emperor Ōgimachi was the 106th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 17, 1557, to his abdication on December 17, 1586, corresponding to the transition between the Sengoku period and the Azuchi–Momoyama p ...

and held at the Imperial Palace, the emperor bestowed upon him the Buddhist

lay name A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of registration of the birth and which then a ...

and title . Another major event of Hideyoshi's that Rikyū played a central role in was the

Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony The Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony (Japanese: 北野大茶湯; ''Kitano ōchanoyu''), also known in English as the Grand Kitano Tea Gathering, was a large Japanese tea ceremony event that was hosted by the regent and chancellor Toyotomi Hideyoshi at K ...

, held by Hideyoshi at the

Kitano Tenman-gū is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

in 1587.

It was during his later years that Rikyū began to use very tiny, rustic tea rooms referred as ('grass hermitage'), such as the two-

tatami A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...

mat tea room named

Tai-an is a Momoyama period '' chashitsu'' (Japanese tea house) located at Myōki-an temple in Yamazaki, Kyoto. Tai-an was designed by the great tea master Sen no Rikyū in 1582. Sen no Rikyū was named the tea master of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that same y ...

, which can be seen today at Myōki-an temple in Yamazaki, a suburb of Kyoto, and which is credited to his design. This tea room has been designated as a

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the funda ...

. He also developed many implements for tea ceremony, including flower containers, teascoops, and lid rests made of bamboo, and also used everyday objects for tea ceremony, often in novel ways. Raku teabowls were originated through his collaboration with a tile-maker named Raku

Chōjirō (1516-?1592) is distinguished as the first generation in the Raku family line of potters. According to historical documents he was the son of one Ameya, who is said to have emigrated to Japan from Korea (or possibly Ming China, as asserted on t ...

. Rikyū had a preference for simple, rustic items made in Japan, rather than the expensive Chinese-made items that were fashionable at the time. Though not the inventor of the philosophy of ''

wabi-sabi In traditional Japanese aesthetics, is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. ...

'', which finds beauty in the very simple, Rikyū is among those most responsible for popularizing it, developing it, and incorporating it into tea ceremony. He created a new form of tea ceremony using very simple instruments and surroundings. This and his other beliefs and teachings came to be known as (the grass-thatched hermitage style of ), or more generally, . This line of that his descendants and followers carried on was recognized as the . A writer and poet, the tea master referred to the ware and its relationship with the tea ceremony, saying, "Though you wipe your hands and brush off the dust and dirt from the vessels, what is the use of all this fuss if the heart is still impure?" Two of his primary disciples were Nanbō Sōkei (; dates unknown), a somewhat legendary Zen priest; and

Yamanoue Sōji Yamanoue Sōji (山上宗二 ; 1544–90) was a Japanese tea master. Originally a merchant from Sakai, he became a famous disciple of Sen no Rikyū and wrote the chronicle ''Yamanoue Sōji ki'' (山上宗二記), which gives commentary about Riky ...

(1544–90), a townsman of Sakai. Another was

Furuta Oribe , whose birth name was , was a daimyō and celebrated master of the Japanese tea ceremony. He was originally a retainer of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Biography His teacher in the tea ceremony was Sen no Rikyū. He became the foremost ...

(1544-1615), who became a celebrated tea master after Rikyū's death. Nanbō is credited as the original author of the '' Nanpō roku'', a record of Rikyū's teachings. There is, however, some debate as to whether Nanbō even existed, and some scholars theorize that his writings were actually by samurai litterateur Tachibana Jitsuzan (1655-1708), who claimed to have found and transcribed these texts. Yamanoue's chronicle, the (), gives commentary about Rikyū's teachings and the state of at the time of its writing. Rikyū had a number of children, including a son known in history as Sen Dōan, and daughter known as Okame. This daughter became the bride of Rikyū's second wife's son by a previous marriage, known in history as Sen Shōan. Due to many complex circumstances, Sen Shōan, rather than Rikyū's legitimate heir, Dōan, became the person counted as the 2nd generation in the Sen-family's tradition of (see at

schools of Japanese tea ceremony "Schools of Japanese tea" refers to the various lines or "streams" of Japanese tea ceremony. The word "schools" here is an English rendering of the Japanese term . There are three historical households () dedicated to developing and teaching the ...

). Rikyū also wrote poetry, and practiced ''

ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The tradition dates back to Heian period, when floral offerings were made at altars. Later, flower arrangements were instead used to adorn the (alcove) of a traditional Japan ...

''.flowers for chanoyu are not called ikebana; need verification about him practicing ikebana One of his favourite gardens was said to be at Chishaku-in in Kyoto.

Death

Although Rikyū had been one of Hideyoshi's closest confidants, because of crucial differences of opinion and because he was too independent, Hideyoshi ordered him to commit

ritual suicide A suicide method is any means by which a person chooses to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a nonfatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, and bra ...

. One year earlier after the

Siege of Odawara (1590) The third occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hi ...

, his famous disciple

was tortured and decapitated on Hideyoshi's orders. While Hideyoshi's reason may never be known for certain, it is known that Rikyū committed ''seppuku'' at his residence within Hideyoshi's

Jurakudai The Jurakudai or Jurakutei () was a palace constructed at the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Japan. Construction began in 1586, when Hideyoshi had taken the post of , and required nineteen months to complete. Its total area was almost equa ...

palace in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

in 1591 on the 28th day of the 2nd month (of the traditional Japanese

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...

; or April 21 when calculated according to the modern

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

), at the age of seventy. According to

Okakura Kakuzō (also known as 岡倉天心 Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar and art critic who in the era of Meiji- Restoration reform defended traditional forms, customs and beliefs. Outside Japan, he is chiefly renowned for '' The Book of Tea: A Jap ...

in ''

The Book of Tea ''A Japanese Harmony of Art, Culture, and the Simple Life'' (1906) by Okakura Kakuzō (1906) is a long essay linking the role of ''chadō'' (''teaism'') to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of Japanese life and protesting Western caricatures of ...

'', Rikyū's last act was to hold an exquisite tea ceremony. After serving all his guests, he presented each piece of the tea-equipage for their inspection, along with an exquisite ''

kakemono __NOTOC__ A , more commonly referred to as a , is a Japanese hanging scroll used to display and exhibit paintings and calligraphy inscriptions and designs mounted usually with silk fabric edges on a flexible backing, so that it can be rolled fo ...

'', which Okakura described as "a wonderful writing by an ancient monk dealing with the evanescence of all things". Rikyū presented each of his guests with a piece of the equipment as a souvenir, with the exception of the bowl, which he shattered, as he uttered the words: "Never again shall this cup, polluted by the lips of misfortune, be used by man." As the guests departed, one remained to serve as witness to Rikyū's death. Rikyū's last words, which he wrote down as a

death poem The death poem is a genre of poetry that developed in the literary traditions of East Asian cultures—most prominently in Japan as well as certain periods of Chinese history and Joseon Korea. They tend to offer a reflection on death—both in g ...

, were in verse, addressed to the dagger with which he took his own life: When Hideyoshi was building his lavish residence at Fushimi the following year, he remarked that he wished its construction and decoration to be pleasing to Rikyū. Hideyoshi was known for his temper, and is said to have expressed regret at his treatment of Rikyū.Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp364,370. Rikyū's grave is located at Jukōin temple in the

compound in Kyoto; his posthumous Buddhist name is Fushin'an Rikyū Sōeki Koji. Memorials for Rikyū are observed annually by many

. The Omotesenke school's annual memorial takes place at the family's headquarters each year on March 27, and the Urasenke school's takes place at its own family's headquarters each year on March 28. The three Sen families (Omotesenke, Urasenke, Mushakōjisenke) take turns holding a memorial service on the 28th of every month, at their mutual family temple, the subsidiary temple Jukōin at Daitoku-ji temple.

Rikyū's Seven High-Status Disciples

The () ('Seven Foremost Disciples', 'Seven Luminaries') is a set of seven high-ranking

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

or generals who were also direct disciples of Sen no Rikyū:

Maeda Toshinaga was a Sengoku period Japanese samurai and the second early-Edo period ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. He was the eldest son of Maeda Toshiie. His childhood name was ...

Gamō Ujisato or Gamō Yasuhide was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku and Azuchi–Momoyama periods. He was heir and son of Gamō Katahide, lord of Hino Castle in Ōmi Province, he later held Matsusaka ( Ise Province) and finally Aizuwakamatsu Castle i ...

Hosokawa Tadaoki was a Japanese samurai warrior of the late Sengoku period and early Edo period. He was the son of Hosokawa Fujitaka with Numata Jakō, and he was the husband of a famous Christian convert (Kirishitan), Hosokawa Gracia. For most of his life, he ...

, Makimura Toshisada,

Dom Justo Takayama , born and also known as Dom Justo Takayama (c. 1552 – 3 or 5 February 1615) was a Japanese Catholic Kirishitan daimyō and samurai who lived during the Sengoku period that witnessed anti-Catholic sentiment. Takayama had been baptized int ...

, and Shimayama Munetsuna. The seven-member set was first mentioned by Rikyū's grandson

Sen no Sōtan (1578–1658), also known as Genpaku Sōtan 元伯宗旦, was the grandson of the famed figure in Japanese cultural history, Sen no Rikyū. He is remembered as Rikyū's third-generation successor in Kyoto through whose efforts and by whose very be ...

. In a 1663 list given by Sōtan's son (and fourth-generation head of the Sen Sōsa lineage of tea masters), Maeda Toshinaga is replaced by Seta Masatada.

In popular culture

'' Rikyu'' (, , 1989) is

Hiroshi Teshigahara was a Japanese avant-garde filmmaker and artist from the Japanese New Wave era. He is best known for the 1964 film '' Woman in the Dunes''. He is also known for directing other titles such as '' The Face of Another'' (1966), ''Natsu No Heitai'' ( ...

's film about the master. The film focuses on the late stages of life of Rikyū, during the highly turbulent

of feudal Japan. The film won a number of awards. ''

Death of a Tea Master ''Death of a Tea Master'' ( ja, 千利休本覺坊遺文, ''Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubô ibun'' also known as ''Sen no Rikyū: Honkakubo's Student Writings'') is a 1989 Japanese biographical drama film directed by Kei Kumai. It is based on real life e ...

'' (, , also known as '': Honkakubo's Student Writings'') is a 1989 biographical

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Kei Kumai was a Japanese film director from Azumino, Nagano prefecture. After his studies in literature at Shinshu University, he began work as a director's assistant. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his first film, '' Nihon ...

with

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and ' ...

as the lead character. It is based on the events surrounding his ritual suicide. It was entered into the main competition at the 43rd Venice International Film Festival, in which it won the

Silver Lion The Silver Lion ( it, Leone d'argento, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film at official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998. The pri ...

. ''

Hyouge Mono is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in the manga magazine ''Weekly Morning'' from 2005 to 2017 and collected into 25 volumes by publisher Kodansha. ''Hyouge Mono'' won an Excellence Prize for manga at ...

'' () is a '' manga'' written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Yamada. is a fictional retelling of the era in which Sen no Rikyū lived, and how close tea culture was to the world of politics. It won several comic awards and was adapted into an ''

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

'' series in 2011. was made in 2013 by

Mitsutoshi Tanaka is a Japanese film and commercial director. He is President and CEO of Osaka-based film production firm Creators' Union and widely known for award-winning feature films such as ''Godai - The Wunderkind'' (2020), ''125 Years Memory'' (2015), ''Bl ...

, starring ''

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

'' actor

Ichikawa Ebizō XI may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan ** Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikaw ...

Rei Dan , known professionally as , is a Japanese actress. She began her career as a member of the Takarazuka Revue. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for '' Kabei: Our Mother''. Filmography Dramas Film * ' ...

Akira Emoto is a Japanese actor. Career In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Dr. Akagi''. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for ''Dotonbori River'' and '' Hearts and F ...

, and

Seiji Fukushi is a Japanese actor represented by Owlm. He was a member of Imai Office until 31 March 2015. Biography Fukushi auditioned and debuted in the Mizkan advertisement "Kin no Tsubu" in 2001. His drama debut was in the Fuji Television drama ''The Long ...

. It is based on a novel by Kenichi Yamamoto. Sen no Rikyū is a character in the ''

Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including four anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, a magazine series, a trading card game, and numerous drama CDs, light nov ...

'' franchise, introduced in the 2015 game '' Sengoku Basara 4''. Rikyū is portrayed with two split personalities - the peaceful and elegant Wabisuke, and the irreverent and aggressive Sabisuke – in reference to the philosophy of

that the actual Rikyū popularized. In the game, Rikyū is a former tea master to

, and he is on the run after Hideyoshi ordered him to commit

.Sengoku Basara 4 official website
/ref> Sen no Rikyū is one of the main characters in ''

Flower and Sword is a 2017 Japanese film on '' kadō'' directed by Tetsuo Shinohara. Plot Cast * Mansai Nomura as Ikenobō Senkō * Ichikawa En'nosuke IV as Toyotomi Hideyoshi * Kōichi Satō as Sen no Rikyū * Kiichi Nakai as Oda Nobunaga * Kuranosuke Sasa ...

'' (), a 2017 tragicomical movie by

Tetsuo Shinohara is a Japanese film director. His film ''First Love'' was the 3rd Best Film at the 22nd Yokohama Film Festival. Filmography * ''Running High'' (1989) * ''Work on the Grass'' (1993) * ''One More Time, One More Chance'' (1996) * ''Aku no hana'' (1 ...

. The role of Rikyū is performed by Kōichi Satō. Sen no Rikyū was added as a playable character to the game ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and w ...

'' in 2022 in the GUDAGUDA 7 event as a 5-star Berserker-class Servant. In ''Fate/Grand Order'', he is illustrated as a female dressed in traditional Japanese clothing with white and grey hair. The Servant's Noble Phantasm animation shows him making tea and serving it to the enemy before dealing damage.

Notes

References

* Bodart-Bailey, Beatrice. (1977). ''Tea and counsel, the political rele of Sen Rikyū.''
OCLC 469293854
* Sansom, George Bailey. (1961). ''A History of Japan: 1334-1615.'' London: Cresset Press
OCLC 216583509

External links

*
Momoyama, Japanese Art in the Age of Grandeur
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Sen no Rikyū
Turning point : Oribe and the arts of sixteenth-century Japan
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Sen no Rikyū {{DEFAULTSORT:Sen no, Rikyu 1522 births 1591 deaths Chadō Japanese tea masters Suicides by seppuku People from Sakai, Osaka Forced suicides 16th-century suicides