is a purported book of secrets describing the teachings of the tea saint,

Sen no Rikyū , 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 ...

. After the death of Rikyu, the book was lost with its author, Nanbo Sokei, a

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 ...

priest and Rikyu's leading disciple. About one hundred years later, in 1686, Tachibana Jitsuzan, the chief vassal of the

Kuroda clan Kuroda (written: lit. "black ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese painter * Akinobu Kuroda 黒田明伸, Japanese historian *Chris Kuroda, lighting designer and operator for the band Phish and Ju ...

purportedly happened to find the book while heading to

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

with his lord. Tachibana set about the task of transcribing the work into five volumes, adding two further volumes when more documents came to light. He then made a fair copy of the seven volumes, and the book was named ''Southern Record'' for the first time. The collection was highly regarded as a direct record of Rikyu’s teachings and exerted a great influence on the process of the concept building of ''

wabi-cha ''Wabi-cha'' (; ; ), is a style of Japanese tea ceremony particularly associated with Sen no Rikyū, Takeno Jōō and its originator Murata Jukō. ''Wabi-cha'' emphasizes simplicity. The term came into use in the Edo period, prior to which it was ...

''. However, modern researchers believe that the book contains information not from Sen no Rikyū and regard it as a forgery.

Chapters

:First Scroll: Memorandum 巻一覚書　 :Second Scroll: Gatherings 巻二会 :Third Scroll: Shelves 巻三棚 :Fourth Scroll: Schools 巻四書院 :Fifth Scroll: Tables 巻五台子 :Sixth Scroll: Citations 巻六墨引 :Seventh Scroll: Memoirs 巻七滅後

Outline

There are two opinions regarding the origin of the book's name. The first holds that it derived from the opening passage of the work by the Chinese writer,

Lu Yu Lu Yu (; 733–804) or Lu Ji (陆疾), courtesy name Jici (季疵) was a Chinese tea master and writer. He is respected as the Sage of Tea for his contribution to Chinese tea culture. He is best known for his monumental book ''The Classic of ...

, entitled ''Chá Ching'' (''Cha-kyo'' in Japanese,

The Classic of Tea ''The Classic of Tea'' or ''Tea Classic'' () is the first known monograph on tea in the world, by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang dynasty. Lu Yu's original manuscript is lost; the earliest editions available date ...

or Tea Classic in English), in which he writes "Tea is a good tree in the south". The alternative view asserts that it came from the name of the original author, Nanbo Sokei.

References

External links

Enkaku-ji Hakata
{{Authority control Tea ceremony Japanese false documents 1686 books