The Legacy of Chanoyu

三千家 (San Senke: The Three Sen Families)

The spirit that Sen no Rikyū defended at the cost of his life was passed down to his descendants.

Sen no Shōan was the stepson of Rikyū's second wife and later became a tea master who married Rikyū's daughter. After Rikyū's seppuku, he was exiled to Aizu, but through the intercession of Gamō Ujisato (one of the Seven Disciples of Rikyū) and Tokugawa Ieyasu, he was pardoned and returned to Kyoto to revive Senke (the Sen family).

His son, Sen no Sōtan, had been training in Zen at Daitoku-ji, but returned to secular life at Shōan's request. He later arranged for his sons to serve as tea masters in various daimyō households. Perhaps wishing to distance himself from politics, Sōtan himself refused official service throughout his life, yet he seems to have worked hard on his children's job hunting.

利休(Rikyū)
 ↓
少庵(Shōan)
 ↓
宗旦(Sōtan)
 ├ 宗拙(Sōsetsu) _ Disowned and left Senke
 ├ 宗守(Sōshu) _ Lacquer craftsman→Takamatsu Matsudaira family→(武)
 ├ 宗左(Sōsa) _ Kishū Tokugawa family→(表)
 └ 宗室(Sōshitsu) _ Kaga Maeda family→(裏)

First, Sōtan passed the family headship to his third son, Sōsa, and retired. The tea room that was renovated at this time from one-and-a-half tatami to a three-tatami daime layout was Fushin'an, marking the beginning of "表千家 (Omotesenke)." Sōsa left many tea writings, including kikigaki (oral records), oboegaki (memoranda), tea gathering records, and tool provenance ledgers, thereby establishing the foundation of Omotesenke.

"Fushin'an" refers not only to the tea room itself, but also to the Sen family estate and its organization as a whole. It is also the title held by the head of the family, making it a symbol of Omotesenke. This school places great importance on tradition and formality, and is characterized by its many strict rules regarding etiquette and the handling of tea utensils.

"不審庵" (Fushin'an)

Image: OMOTESENKE Fushin’an

Sōtan also moved with his fourth son, Sōshitsu, to a retirement residence built behind the main house. Three tea rooms were constructed there: Konnichi'an, a one-tatami daime room; Yūin, based on Rikyū's four-and-a-half tatami design; and Kan'untei, an eight-tatami hall. Sōshitsu later inherited all of these, marking the beginning of "裏千家 (Urasenke)."

While preserving tradition, Urasenke has also sought new ways of practicing tea, and is thus regarded as an "open school." They have been active in spreading tea culture, and there are indications that they systematized their training and education quite early on. Today, Urasenke is the largest school, comprising over half of all tea practitioners.

"今日庵" (Konnichian "Hut of This Day")
Images: Urasenke Konnichian

The second son, Sōshu, was adopted into the Yoshioka family of lacquer craftsmen and worked at the forefront of his trade under the name Yoshioka Jin'uemon. Their father Sōtan never took official service throughout his life, and the eldest son, Sōsetsu, had left Senke. Moreover, Sōsa was eight years younger than Sōshu, and Sōshitsu was seventeen years younger, so I believe it was Sōshu who initially supported the Senke household.

In 1659, the year Sōtan died, Sōshu returned to Senke, partly at the urging of his brothers. His younger brothers must have been deeply grateful to him. Around this time, Sōshu's daughter married into the neighboring Nakamura family, and Sōshu passed on his skills as a lacquer craftsman to his son-in-law. This neighbor was the first Nakamura Sōtetsu, whose family would later become known as Senke Jisshoku (the ten hereditary families of craftsmen specializing in tea utensils for the Sen families).

Later, in 1666 when he was past sixty, Sōshu entered service with the Takamatsu Matsudaira family, but after about a year he passed his duties to the fifth generation and returned to Kankyūan on Musha no Kōji street. This marks the beginning of "武者小路千家 (Mushakōji Senke)." The tea room Kankyuan is attributed to Sōtan, but this likely means that "Yoshioka Jin'uemon" built a tea room in Sōtan's preferred style.

Mushakōji Senke is characterized by rational, streamlined movements that eliminate unnecessary gestures. It places great importance on Rikyū's "wabi-sabi" aesthetic and is regarded as a strict and conservative school.

"官休庵" (Kankyuan)

Images: Mushakoji Senke Kankyuan

These are known as the "San-Senke" (the Three Sen Families), and to this day they remain the central bearers of Rikyū's spirit. This is thanks to the efforts of Sen no Sōtan. The successive heads of each of the three families inherit the tea names of their founders: Omotesenke passes down "Sōsa," Urasenke passes down "Sōshitsu," and Mushakōji Senke passes down "Sōshu."

Regarding Shōan, the second generation head: it is said that his position within Senke was weak due to a disability in his leg and the fact that he was the stepson of Rikyū's second wife. Nevertheless, he married Rikyū's daughter, and Sōtan was born. Having Rikyū's blood flow through his own child must have given him considerable hope. At around the age of ten, Sōtan was entrusted to Daitoku-ji at Rikyū's request. This was likely both a grandfather's concern to keep the boy from becoming entangled in succession disputes, and a tea master's foresight that the training would serve him well in the way of tea.

The main house, Sakai Senke—based in Rikyū's hometown of Sakai—was inherited by Rikyū's legitimate son, Sen no Dōan, but it is said that he and Shōan were always on bad terms. Since Dōan's own sister married the stepson of his stepmother, the situation must have been quite complicated. It may have been difficult to get along under such circumstances. Ordinarily, the Sen family would have been based in Sakai, but since Dōan had no legitimate heir, Sakai Senke did not continue. Through these circumstances, the lineage descending from Shōan's Kyoto Senke became today's Sen family, and Rikyū's strategy came to fruition.

織部流 (Oribe-ryū)

Now let us turn to what became of Oribe's tea.

Sen no Rikyū reigned as the foremost tea master under Hideyoshi for about nine years, but for the following twenty-five years until the fall of the Toyotomi clan, it was Furuta Oribe who held that position. During this time, Oribe was also highly regarded by Ieyasu and Hidetada. It can be said that Rikyū and Oribe together elevated chanoyu into a major cultural pursuit of those who ruled the land.

In contrast to the tranquility that Rikyū sought, Oribe favored a dynamic "beauty of discord." He also established tea ceremony protocols for shoguns and daimyō, which eventually came to be known as "Oribe-ryū." This is sometimes referred to as "buke-cha" or "buke-sadō" (warrior tea), or "daimyō-cha" (tea of the lords).

Later, Oribe was ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu to commit seppuku, and as a result, Oribe-ryū became a shadowed existence under the Edo shogunate. It appears to have been completely taboo in Edo, but the tradition was carefully preserved in the Fukuoka and Chōfu domains. Furuta Hirokazu, a descendant of Oribe's daughter, learned this tradition and, as the head of the Oribe-ryū lineage, transmitted it to Chiba and Kyoto. The "Sadō Shikisei Oribe-ryū" that was passed down in this way has been designated an intangible cultural property of Chiba Prefecture, and the Oribe-ryū transmitted to Kyoto continues as "Sadō Oribe-ryū Fusō-ha." Other branches such as "Oribe-ryū Koori-kai" and "Sadō Furuta Oribe-ryū" have also formed, and Oribe's tea continues to be passed down through these various lineages.

In any school of tea, the preferences of successive heads are reflected over time, so that the temae (tea preparation procedures) gradually diverges considerably from that of the founder. However, at Sadō Furuta Oribe-ryū (formerly Oribe-ryū Onchikai), through extensive research into Oribe's tea gathering records and tea writings, the temae actually practiced 400 years ago has reportedly been reconstructed.

Other Schools

There are also various other schools. Through repeated divisions over their long history, there are now said to be over 500.

藪内流 (Yabunouchi-ryū)
Yabunouchi Kenchū, the founder of Kogi Sadō Yabunouchi-ryū (Traditional Tea Ceremony Yabunouchi School), studied under Takeno Jōō, the same master as Rikyū. The school's tea style is said to combine Rikyū's wabi-cha with influences from warrior tea, and is characterized by its grand, dignified movements.

Kenchū's wife was Furuta Oribe's younger sister, and Rikyū is said to have been their matchmaker. Kenchū received the tea room Unkyaku from Rikyū and the tea room Ennan from Oribe.

"燕庵" (Ennan)

Image: Yabunouchi Ennan

From the second generation head, Shin'ō, the Yabunouchi family became the tea instructors for Nishi Hongan-ji temple. Shin'ō is said to have been close friends with Shōan, the second generation head of Senke. Perhaps as fellow second-generation heads, they had much in common.


遠州流 (Enshū-ryū)
Kobori Enshū was Oribe's most cherished disciple and is said to have begun studying tea around the age of fifteen. The name "Enshū" derives from his appointment as Governor of Tōtōmi Province at the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. He is also known as a multi-disciplinary artist and is regarded as the founder of daimyō tea in Japan.

Among the warrior tea schools, Enshū-ryū is characterized by a tea style known as "kirei-sabi" (refined rusticity). Through his study of waka poetry and the calligraphy of Fujiwara no Teika, Enshū incorporated the aesthetic sensibilities of court culture into tea, adding beauty, brightness, and richness to the spirit of "wabi-sabi."

Enshū also oversaw tea ceramics at various kilns known as "Enshū-gonomi gama" (kilns favored by Enshū), and produced tea utensils according to his own designs.

Enshū-gonomi
Takatori-chaire "下面" (Shitamen)	Enshu Kirigata Shigawaki-chawan
Images: Enshu-sado-soke.

The philosophy of Enshū-ryū is expressed in the phrase "稽古照今" (keiko shōkon: learn from the past to illuminate the present). This means properly inheriting the traditions built by predecessors, applying them to the present day, and creating something new—a stance of constantly seeking evolution.

Furthermore, Enshū devised a system for understanding tea utensil design in a systematic way. The collection of tea utensils he made famous came to be known in later generations as "Chūkō Meibutsu" (revived masterpieces), and his inventory of owned utensils is called "Enshū Kurachō." He also sought beauty not only in the tea utensils themselves, but in their accompanying items known as "次第" (shidai)—such as "仕覆" (shifuku: pouches for storing tea utensils) and boxes—thereby elevating the refinement of tea utensils as a whole.

The Visions of Rikyū and Oribe

When one sees the boldly distorted forms and unconventional style of Oribe ware, they seem entirely different from Rikyū's preferences. Did they perhaps aim for different directions?

Oribe's style was called "hyōge-mono," meaning something playful or whimsical. Indeed, opinions such as "Oribe rebelled against Rikyū's wabi" and "he did not entirely agree with his master's philosophy" are occasionally encountered.

Kurorakuchawan "Mozuya kuro"	Tea Bowl shaped Shoe, oribe type
Image: 茶道具辞典	Image: SAGAWA ART MUSEUM

The psychology of a guest holding a black raku tea bowl versus a Kuro-Oribe bowl must be quite different. Looking at the curious patterns of Oribe ware like those shown above, one begins to feel uncertain about the interpretation of wabi. However, it was Rikyū who designed and produced the golden tea room for Hideyoshi, so it seems that "wabi equals simplicity" or "wabi equals austerity" is not such a straightforward matter.

In the world of tea, there are expressions like "konomi" and "konomi-mono," which refer to objects that tea masters instructed craftsmen to make, or utensils they particularly favored. Yet fundamentally, in wabi-cha, spirituality is the most important element. Since stirring the heart is the essential premise, "what appearance is good" becomes "what kind of visual object will evoke a sense of elegance and beauty," and ultimately it comes down to "what kind of object can I entrust my aesthetic sensibility to in order to create a rich and meaningful time." In that sense, "konomi" is fundamentally not an "oshi" (a personal favorite), but rather a narrator of one's aesthetic sensibility—a spokesperson, if you will.

Rikyū was the founder, and I believe his purpose and the process needed to achieve it were clear. Because he took a direct approach to the essence of conveying the Zen spirit, ornate decoration was a hindrance. However, such simplicity may be difficult for ordinary people. One might grow bored, feel tense, or experience a sense of oppression precisely because everything is so simple. Since spirituality is paramount, being in a state where the host's heart is not engaged would be the worst outcome. This may be why alternative approaches came to be pursued. Thinking this way, there is no single correct answer in tea, and the possibilities are infinite.

It is said that Rikyū advised Oribe to pursue a different path from his own. This was not an encouragement to rebel, but rather to expand the possibilities of tea by pursuing his own unique sense of beauty. After Rikyū's death, Oribe established his innovative style. While it may appear highly intentional and even ornate, he found value in imperfection and surprise, so in the sense of deliberately avoiding perfect beauty, it seems to me to be an extension of Rikyū's preferences.


In 1591 (Tenshō 19), Rikyū incurred the wrath of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was ordered into confinement in Sakai. Approaching Rikyū after he had provoked Hideyoshi's fury meant putting oneself in danger. While many disciples kept their distance, only two came to see him off at Yodo: Furuta Oribe and Hosokawa Tadaoki. Among Rikyū's disciples, seven particularly outstanding ones are known as the "Seven Disciples of Rikyū," yet the other five did not come.

Hosokawa Tadaoki

Oribe and his companions apparently rushed about pleading for Rikyū's life, but Rikyū was summoned back to Kyoto and ordered to commit seppuku.

And Oribe too, in 1615 (Keichō 20) during the Summer Siege of Osaka, was suspected of colluding with the Toyotomi side and ordered by Ieyasu to commit seppuku. Both master and disciple met the fate of being ordered to commit seppuku by the rulers of their time. His efforts at peace negotiations with the Toyotomi clan apparently worked against him, but like Rikyū, he is said to have accepted seppuku without offering any excuses. Can two people become so alike even in this? Both died without revealing their true intentions. One senses a strong spiritual bond and unwavering conviction.


Rikyū's "wabi," Oribe's "hyōge," Enshū's "kirei-sabi"—and also the preferences of Hideyoshi as a tea practitioner. While their aesthetics differ greatly in visual expression, the underlying spirit should be consistent, and I believe they ought to resonate with one another.

Yet Rikyū and Oribe were not allowed to continue their tea in peace. This speaks to the magnitude of these two men, and furthermore, to the magnitude of Chanoyu itself.