The Golden Age of Tea Ceremony: Rikyu, Oribe, Enshu

Date
Monday 16 June 2025

Time
6.45pm

Venue
The Swedenborg Society
20-21 Bloomsbury Way (Hall entrance on Barter St)
London WC1A 2TH
[Map]

Booking Details
Free- Booking essential

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Originally, the Japanese tea ceremony (sado, 茶道) was simply the practice of preparing and enjoying tea (chanoyu, 茶の湯), but it evolved into a unique discipline that emphasised spiritual cultivation and aesthetic refinement. The form of chanoyu perfected by master Sen no Rikyu involved a small group of close acquaintances gathering in an intimate tea room to share food, sake, and tea while engaging in discussions about art and culture removed from worldly concerns. During the era of civil war, this practice aimed to rebuild human bonds that transcended social status.

In the 17th century, with the restoration of peace, samurai tea masters such as Furuta Oribe and Kobori Enshu brought significant changes and diversification to architecture, gardens, and tea utensils such as ceramics. Both the boldness and the refined elegance of their styles continue to be cherished by many today.

In this lecture, cultural historian Asao Kozu will explore the evolution of chanoyu across three generations - Rikyu, Oribe, and Enshu - linked through a lineage of master and disciple.

Born in Tokyo in 1953, Asao Kozu graduated from Waseda University with a degree in Political Economy. Following the completion of his Master's degree, he was awarded a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, allowing him to spend two years studying at the University of Mannheim in Germany. He subsequently completed his PhD at Tezukayama University.

His specialist area is Japanese Cultural History and the History of the Tea Ceremony. Having previously held a university position as an Associate Professor, he now works as a writer. Among his publications are A Study of the Daisu: Its History and Procedure, What is Sen no Rikyu's 'Wabi'?, and An Introduction to the Soji Yamanoue Diary: Secret Writings on the Tea Ceremony and the Tea Master Soji. His other works include The History of the Tea Ceremony; The Choando Diary: Excerpts from the Writings of the Four Founders of the Tea Ceremony; The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture; The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture: From Food and Drink, Utensils, Space, and Thought; and Reading Tea Ceremony Records: The Ingenuity of Tea Masters and the Evolution of Tea Gatherings.

If you have any questions, please call The Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk.

Image: Left: A portrait of Kobori Enshu - Unknown, a collection of Raikyu-ji; Centre: A portrait of Sen Rikyu by Tohaku Hasegawa (長谷川等伯)(born in 1539 and dead in 1610), calligraphy by Shunoku Soen (春屋 宗園); Right: A portrait of Furuta Oribe (Shigenari), a Sengoku-period warlord

Co-organised with The Japan Foundation

Supported by the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO)

Booking Info