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Sen no Rikyū

Type Figure Region Japan Time c. 1522–1591 Also known as Rikyū、Sōeki

Japanese tea master of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods who perfected wabicha, served as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's tea master, and was ordered to c…

Timeline

  1. c. 1550–1570Sakai · Osaka PrefectureStudied the way of tea under Takeno Shōō in Sakai, accumulating expertise in tea utensils and the practice of tea gatherings, and gradually built a reputation among warrior circles in Sakai and Kyoto.
  2. 1582–1590Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureServed as Hideyoshi's tea master, presided over major gatherings such as the Kitano Grand Tea Gathering, perfected the two-and-a-half-mat tea room and wabi-sabi aesthetics, and counted disciples among many daimyō, establishing the model for Japanese tea ceremony.
  3. 1591Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureDispleased with his tea-garden landscaping and political stance, Hideyoshi ordered him to commit seppuku; his school was purged, yet his wabicha ideals continued to deeply influence later tea masters and warrior culture.

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