Sen no Rikyu

The master who brought the tea ceremony to its consummate form and championed the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, ultimately ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to commit seppuku.

Life

Merchant of Sakai

Sen no Rikyu was born into a merchant family in the port of Sakai and studied the tea ceremony under Takeno Joo. Sakai was then a self-governing port city home to many wealthy merchants.

Tea master of the realm

He served in turn as tea master to Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, presiding over tea gatherings on political and diplomatic occasions, and held a position of great influence. He developed the tea ceremony into wabi-cha, which prized simplicity and tranquility, designed the Taian teahouse, only two tatami mats in size, and established the spirit of "harmony, respect, purity and tranquility."

Seppuku

In 1591, for reasons that remain unclear, he incurred the wrath of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was ordered to commit seppuku.

Legacy

Sen no Rikyu is revered as the sage of tea, and his descendants still carry on the tea ceremony in three main schools: Omotesenke, Urasenke and Mushakojisenke.

Major works & achievements

• Taian teahouse

Did you know? There are many theories about why he was ordered to take his own life, and it remains one of the unsolved mysteries of Japanese history.

Key dates

• 1569Became tea master to Oda Nobunaga (approx.)
• 1582Built the Taian teahouse for Toyotomi Hideyoshi (approx.)
• 1585Granted the lay Buddhist name "Rikyu"
• 1587Hosted the Grand Kitano Tea Gathering
• 1591Ordered to commit seppuku