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Tp 10 Astonishing Facts about Sen No Riky奴

Portrait of Sen no Rikyu.

Sen no Rikyu or simply Rikyu is a historical figure with a most profound influence on the Japanese 鈥淲ay of Tea鈥�. He was particularly profound with the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. 

Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 with the exact date and month not known. He was born in Sakai which is the present-day Osaka Prefecture.

Rikyu was the son of Tanaka Yohei who was a warehouse owner. The mother of Rikyu was known as Gesshin Myochin. Rikyu also had a childhood name that was Yoshiro.

Sen no Rikyu also played a role in emphasising several aspects of the Japanese tea ceremony. Some of the emphasis included rustic simplicity, directness of approach and self-honesty. 

The three heads of houses of the Japanese Way of Tea directly descended from the family of Rikyu. The three descendants included Omotesenke, Urasenke and Mushakojisenke.

The descendants’ major objective was to pass forward the teachings of Rikyu to the other generations. Let us enjoy the top 10 Astonishing Facts about Sen No Riky奴;

1. Rikyu Studied Tea under two Teachers at a very Tender Age 

Sen no Rikyu, the father of the Japanese Way of Tea had to learn more about this product. Before attaining nineteen years, Rikyu began studying Tea under fellow-townsman Kitamuki Dochin.

Later on in life, after he got to nineteen years, Rikyu also studied tea under Takeno J艒艒. Takeno was a significant person in the development of the wabi aesthetic in the tea ceremony. 

2. Rikyu Received Buddhist Name and got Married at 21

Ren no Rikyu.

Sen no Rikyu was not born with any Buddhist name, but later in his life, he was given a name. He received the Buddhist name S艒eki which was not that popular during his era.

The name S艒eki was given to Rikyu by Zen priest Dairin S艒t艒 of three Nansh奴ji temples. After receiving his name, Rikyu underwent Zen training at Daitokuji temple.

At the age of twenty-one, Rikyu married Hoshin Myoju. His wife later passed away in 1577.

3. Rukyi Received Another New Buddhist Name to Enter Imperial Palace

As years went by, Rukyi continued getting more credentials in his career. He went ahead and became a Tea Master who was renowned all over. 

In 1585, Rukyi was about to miss out on an opportunity to get to the Imperial Palace for an important occasion. Rukyi was supposed to get extra credentials to access the Imperial Palace to help at a tea gathering. 

This was Hideyoshi鈥檚 chanoyu event to Emperor Ogimachi. The Emperor bestowed another new Buddhist lay name and gave him the title Rikyu Koji.

Rikyu also played a major role in another chanoyu event known as the Grand Kitano Tea ceremony. 

4. Rukyi Developed Tiny Rustic Tea Rooms which are a National Treasure

File: Tea House Window In uYama.jpg.

As seasons passed by, Rukyi brought about several major notable changes to the Tea ceremony. Rikyu began using tiny rustic Tea rooms referred to as 鈥榞rass hermitage鈥�. 

Some of these rooms include the two tatami mat tea room named Tai-an which still exists. The Tai-an room was designated a National Treasure in Japan.

5. Rukyi Developed Several Implements for Tea Ceremony 

Bamboo Flowerpot Sen no Rikyu.

As a master of tea, Sen no Rikyu was involved in making major changes to the culture of the tea ceremonies. The bringing up of the tiny rustic tea rooms was one of the changes.

He also developed several implements for the tea ceremony that are appreciated to date. Some of the implements include: flower containers, tea scoops and lid rests made of bamboo.

These implements were used for every tea ceremony across Japan.

6. Rikyu Preferred Simple Rustic Items for Tea Ceremony 

During his era, several artistic designs of items were used and preferred in various ceremonies. However, not everyone preferred them.

Rikyu never preferred the expensive Chinese-made items that were fashionable and used during major ceremonies. He preferred using simple, rustic items that were made in Japan.

Rikyu is known as a promoter of the philosophy of wabi-sabi that found beauty in every simple item.

7. Rikyu鈥檚 Daughter who was Married to His Second Wife鈥檚 Son

Like the other Japanese old people, Sen no Rikyu had several children and had two wives. He had a son known as Sen D艒an who was a historic figure too.

Rikyu also had a daughter known as Okame. The daughter of Rikyu was married to Sen Sh艒an. 

Sen Sh艒an was the son of Rikyu鈥檚 second wife from his previous marriage. Sen is majorly known as the second generation of the Sen family鈥檚 tradition of chanoyu rather than Riky奴鈥檚 legitimate heir, D艒an. 

8. Rikyu Seven Foremost Disciples who continued with the Tea Mastery

The legacy of Sen no Rikyu could not be forgotten even after he passed away. His generations continued with the tea ceremonies which were passed down their lineage.

Rikyu had the Rikyu Shichitetsu which meant the Seven Foremost Disciples or Seven Luminaries. They are a set of seven high-ranking generals who were direct disciples of Rikyu.

They included; Maeda Toshinaga, Gam艒 Ujisato, Hosokawa Toshisada, Furuta Oribe, Makimura Toshisada, Dominic Justo Takayama and Shimiyama Munetsuna.

9. The Last Ceremony Held by Rikyu 

Before his death, Sen no Rikyu held one final and exquisite tea ceremony at his home place. Several guests were invited to this exquisite tea ceremony. 

Sen no Rikyu served all his guests and later presented them with a piece of the tea equipment for inspection. These pieces of equipment were as a souvenir.

Rikyu shattered the remaining bowl and uttered the words: 鈥淣ever again shall this cup, polluted by the lips of misfortune, be used by man.鈥�

10. Rikyu鈥檚 Death and Last Words Addressed to the Dagger

Hideyoshi was one of the closest confidants and greatest friends of Sen no Rikyu. However, the two had crucial differences of opinion that were brought by the independence of Rikyu, Hideyoshi ordered him to take his life.

After his last tea ceremony, Rikyu took his dagger and drove it through himself. He committed suicide and his last words addressed to the dagger were written in a poem.

Even though Sen no Rikyu did not die respectfully, he always remained to be a legend in Japanese history.