Senso Soshitsu was Sen Sotan's fourth son and the founder of Urasenke. He served the Maeda house of the Kaga domain as both physician and tea master and organised tea culture in Kaga.
Life
As a fourth son he stood outside the succession, but he inherited the land behind the family compound — the ura, "rear" — on which Konnichian stands, and established Urasenke there. He served Maeda Tsunanori at a substantial stipend, and returned to Kyoto in his later years to concentrate on tea.
What followed
Urasenke went on to become the largest of the three schools: Gengensai, the eleventh head, devised the seated ryurei procedure; Ennosai, the thirteenth, began teaching abroad; and recent heads have worked internationally. All of that descends from Senso.
About this article
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Term info
- Life dates
- 1622–1697
- Category
- Term
Related terms
- Chado (The Way of Tea)chado
The Japanese practice of preparing and serving powdered green tea, treated as a lifelong discipline rather than a beverage ritual.
- Wabiwabi
Finding sufficiency of mind within insufficiency and plainness; one of the root concepts of tea practice.
- Ichigo ichie (one time, one meeting)ichigo ichie
The principle that every gathering is unrepeatable, and should therefore be treated as if it will never occur again.
- Sen ShoanSen Shoan
Rikyu's adopted son (1546–1614), who revived the Sen house in Kyoto; all three present schools descend from him.
- Sen SotanSen Sotan
Rikyu's grandson, the third head of the Sen house, whose four sons became the source of the three schools.
- Ichio SoshuIchio Soshu
Sotan's second son (1605–1676), founder of Mushakojisenke, who returned to tea after a period as a lacquerer.
- Koshin SosaKoshin Sosa
Sotan's third son (1613–1672), founder of Omotesenke, who served the Kii Tokugawa house.