people

This page is for historic people; see contemporaries for people of our time!

明庵栄西（みょうあん　えいさい）, monk who brought tea and Rinzai zen to Japan in 1191. Commemoration day on 5.6 (栄西忌）.
村田珠光（むらた　しゅこう） (1422-1502). From merchant family in Nara, learned shogun-style tea, founded 侘び茶, moved to Kyoto, died. First one to use 墨蹟（ぼく　せき）(Zen calligraphy) in the tea room. He learned Zen under Ikkyū in Daitokuji.
Takeno Joo: Originally from Sakai, went to Kyoto to study unter 珠光（しゅこう）'s Shimogyo Circle, then returned to Sakai in 1536.

According to CQ72, 利休's grandfather Tanaka Sen'Ami was a merchant in Sakai, who served as a cultural and artistic advisor (dōbōshū) who served under Ashikaga Yoshimasa. So 利休 supposedly grew up in such a cultural environment.
千利休 (1522-91)
He had seven disciples, even though it is disputed who was exactly part of that group:
- 勢田掃部, famous for his 水海 tea bowl and the large 茶杓利休 had made for it.

利休's son-in-law Shōan takes over, builds Fushin'an; then Sōtan (Sen III, 千宗旦, 1578–1658) takes over. He's a bit scarred from the politicking in 利休's time, so it sounds like he isn't doing much and only later builds Konnichian on the backside of Fushin'an.
His second son, Sōshu, builds Kankyūan on Mushanokōji street in Kyōto; his third son, Sōsa, takes over Fushin'an; and his fourth son, Sōshitsu Sensō (Sen IV), takes over Konnichian.

古田織部（ふるた　おりべ） (1544-1615)
3 (or more) of the 7 students of 利休 were Christian, eg Takayama, who 利休 said he had nothing more to teach to.
- In CQ41 Sen XV sais the Christians were: Gamo Ujisato, Hosokawa Sansai, Oda Uraku, Oribe and Takayama
小堀遠州（こぼり　えんしゅう）(1579-1647). Studied under 織部（おりべ）, and taught 3 generations of 徳川（とくがわ）rulers. Inventor of elegant 詫び.
織田有楽（おだ　うらく）(1547-1621)
Matsudaira Fumai
Ii Naosuke (1815-1860): Tried to restore CNY spiritually just before Meiji restoration, adding the idea of the host sitting by the fire in solitary reflection after the guests have left.
Segai Inoue Kaoru (1835-1915). Sukisha, collector mostly; made tea for the Meiji emperor in 1887 when CNY wasn't so popular.
岡倉覚三（おかくら　かくぞう）(1863-1913), one of the first to explain to the West 茶の湯 or teaism, as he calls it. In CQ12, his biography explains that he studied arts and Western literature in Japan, established an art school and then around 1900 went to Boston, where we worked in the Asian section of the museum. However, I remember reading somewhere also that he was an Asian antiques trader.

№	Name	⏳	Summary
1	利休	1522-91
2	少庵	1546-1614	establishes family home in 京都
3	宗旦	1578-1658	secluded
4	仙叟	1622-97	established 裏千家 and 大樋
5	不休斎	1673-1704	died young
6	六閑斎	1694-1726	died young
7	最々斎	1709-33	Also called 竺叟(ちく　そう), from 表千家, died at age 25 after having served for 4 years as 家元. He 好みed the ためぬり　寒雲棗 and the 日の出棗 (quite similar to 淡々斎's), as well as the cherry blossom wood sticks for the flared 釜.
8	又玄斎	1719-71	developed the 七事式
9	不見斎	1746-1801
10	認得斎	1770-1826	Had a pretty chill time, his style is quite 綺麗さび
11	玄々斎	1810-77	adopted, developed 和巾点, 大炉, and some 茶箱
12	又玅斎	1852-1917	he participated in the 三友棚
13	圓能斎	1872-1924	his mum taught in school, so he made 略盆
14	淡々斎	1893-1964	established 淡交会, first international tea rooms
15	鵬雲斎	1923
16	坐忘斎	1956

After 仙叟, all the 裏千家 heads have the name 宗室; but the other schools don't seem to have that tradition.

V to VII all died pretty young, leaving the family to recruit new 家元 from 表千家. This is a time when CNY deteriorates into a mere amusement.
- Tanaka Senshō (1875-1960) was his student, left Urasenke when 23 and called for an opening away from the closed society of CNY, publishing books and magazines.
Mugensai 無限斎 or Tantansai (XIV) (1893-1964). He added two 茶箱点前.
Sōshitsu (XV).

利休き is around the 28.3, where a 裏千家-sanctioned set of candle holder, 花入 and incence container (all bronze), as well as 楽 bowl and food stand are used.
裏千家 uses a bronze tube-shaped 花入 for its memorial service for past masters. They are called 響筒, and are originally Chinese bronze tubes for storing sutras.

III was かんち　そうさん, nothing is known about him; even the famous Xinxin Ming is probably not written by him. He's supposed to have said: Attaining the Way is without difficulty. Simply avoid picking and chosing.

道元（どうげん）(1200-1253) said: Loving the flowers, they wither; hating the weeds, they flourish.
Ikkyū Sōji (1394–1481): eccentric Zen priest, who established connection of tea to Zen.