Rikyu

Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591), commonly known simply as Rikyu, was a Japanese tea master whose influence on chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, is regarded as pivotal. He refined the wabi-cha style—an austere, simple aesthetic that emphasizes humility, natural materials, and restrained beauty—and helped elevate the ceremony into a sophisticated cultural and political practice during the Sengoku period.

Rikyu was born in Sakai, a thriving merchant city near Osaka. He studied under Takeno Jōō, who had inherited the teachings of Murata Jukō, and after Jōō’s death Rikyu developed his own approach. He emphasized modest utensils, a simple tea room, and restrained aesthetics, shaping the ritual and space of the tea gathering and stressing harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility as guiding principles.

In his lifetime, Rikyu served powerful patrons, including Oda Nobunaga and, later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, helping to raise the status of chanoyu within political and courtly culture. His work laid the groundwork for a highly codified set of practices and a distinctive architectural and material culture surrounding the tea ceremony.

Rikyu died in 1591, reportedly by seppuku after falling from favor with Hideyoshi. The exact circumstances remain debated, but his death did not end his influence. His teachings continued through his pupils and the lineages that developed from his students, laying the foundations for the major schools of the Japanese tea ceremony. Today, his legacy is evident in the enduring emphasis on simplicity, restraint, and mindful presence that characterizes traditional chanoyu.