Edo Saryo is a workshop where you can enjoy tea ceremony painting, tea, and tea sweets all together. About Sen no Rikyu, the founder of tea...
Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 (Oei 2) in Izumi Province, present-day Sakai, Osaka, as the eldest son of Tanaka Yohyo, a merchant who ran a warehouse business under the name “Totoya.”
His childhood name was Tanaka Yosaburo (與四郎), which is Sen no Rikyu’s real name. His Buddhist names included “Soeki” and “Hosen-sai.”
The name “Rikyu,” which is widely known today, is a lay title bestowed upon him by Emperor Ogimachi in 1585 (Tensho 13) when he was serving tea to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as his status as a commoner prevented him from entering the Imperial Palace. At that time, Sen no Rikyu was 64 years old.
Sen no Rikyu perfected wabi-cha and was hailed as one of the “Three Great Tea Masters” of the era, alongside Imai Sokyu and Tsuda So-o. He began studying tea as a merchant’s education at the age of 17, and his first teacher is said to have been the Sakai tea master Kitamuki Dochin. After training under his master, Sen no Rikyu held his first tea ceremony in 1544 (Tenbun 13), when he was 23, and it was a success.
He continued to devote himself to the practice of tea and Zen, eventually becoming known as a tea master. In his twenties, he married a woman from the Miyoshi family, the de facto rulers of Sakai. After having children, he remained in Sakai until his late forties, devoting himself to the family business as a merchant serving the Miyoshi family and amassing a fortune.
From 1569 (Eiroku 12) onward, as Sakai gradually became a territory under the direct control of the national ruler Oda Nobunaga, Sen no Rikyu was appointed as Nobunaga’s tea master, along with the wealthy merchant tea masters Imai Sokyu and Tsuda So-o.
Because Oda Nobunaga encouraged his retainers to study tea and promoted its political use, Sen no Rikyu strengthened his position as a powerful supporter of the tea ceremony and became highly respected by Nobunaga.
After the Honno-ji Incident, Sen no Rikyu demonstrated an even greater presence when he was invited to serve as tea master to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the next national ruler. However, his relationship with Hideyoshi did not last long. After falling out of favor and offending Hideyoshi, Sen no Rikyu was ordered to commit seppuku. He ended his life by suicide at the Juraku mansion in Kyoto.
Edo Saryo is a workshop where you can enjoy painting tea utensils, tea, and Japanese sweets together.
At Edo Saryo, we offer a workshop specializing in painting, as it is an activity that anyone can easily enjoy, with options such as pottery, wheel-throwing, hand-building, and painting. In this two-hour course, you can paint, enjoy, and chat while enjoying tea and Japanese sweets with a tea utensil you have decorated yourself, allowing you to express your sensibilities, creativity, and imagination. It is an experiential art and cafe workshop. For Tokyo sightseeing, souvenirs, Japanese souvenirs, and Japanese experiences, please visit Edo Saryo.
Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 (Oei 2) in Izumi Province, present-day Sakai, Osaka, as the eldest son of Tanaka Yohyo, a merchant who ran a warehouse business under the name “Totoya.”
His childhood name was Tanaka Yosaburo (與四郎), which is Sen no Rikyu’s real name. His Buddhist names included “Soeki” and “Hosen-sai.”
The name “Rikyu,” which is widely known today, is a lay title bestowed upon him by Emperor Ogimachi in 1585 (Tensho 13) when he was serving tea to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as his status as a commoner prevented him from entering the Imperial Palace. At that time, Sen no Rikyu was 64 years old.
Sen no Rikyu perfected wabi-cha and was hailed as one of the “Three Great Tea Masters” of the era, alongside Imai Sokyu and Tsuda So-o. He began studying tea as a merchant’s education at the age of 17, and his first teacher is said to have been the Sakai tea master Kitamuki Dochin. After training under his master, Sen no Rikyu held his first tea ceremony in 1544 (Tenbun 13), when he was 23, and it was a success.
He continued to devote himself to the practice of tea and Zen, eventually becoming known as a tea master. In his twenties, he married a woman from the Miyoshi family, the de facto rulers of Sakai. After having children, he remained in Sakai until his late forties, devoting himself to the family business as a merchant serving the Miyoshi family and amassing a fortune.
From 1569 (Eiroku 12) onward, as Sakai gradually became a territory under the direct control of the national ruler Oda Nobunaga, Sen no Rikyu was appointed as Nobunaga’s tea master, along with the wealthy merchant tea masters Imai Sokyu and Tsuda So-o.
Because Oda Nobunaga encouraged his retainers to study tea and promoted its political use, Sen no Rikyu strengthened his position as a powerful supporter of the tea ceremony and became highly respected by Nobunaga.
After the Honno-ji Incident, Sen no Rikyu demonstrated an even greater presence when he was invited to serve as tea master to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the next national ruler. However, his relationship with Hideyoshi did not last long. After falling out of favor and offending Hideyoshi, Sen no Rikyu was ordered to commit seppuku. He ended his life by suicide at the Juraku mansion in Kyoto.
Edo Saryo is a workshop where you can enjoy painting tea utensils, tea, and Japanese sweets together.
At Edo Saryo, we offer a workshop specializing in painting, as it is an activity that anyone can easily enjoy, with options such as pottery, wheel-throwing, hand-building, and painting. In this two-hour course, you can paint, enjoy, and chat while enjoying tea and Japanese sweets with a tea utensil you have decorated yourself, allowing you to express your sensibilities, creativity, and imagination. It is an experiential art and cafe workshop. For Tokyo sightseeing, souvenirs, Japanese souvenirs, and Japanese experiences, please visit Edo Saryo.
EDO SARYO JOURNAL · 編集・運営 / Published by 江戸茶寮
公開 / Published 2025.05.07 · 更新 / Updated 2025.05.07
