Who exactly was Sen no Rikyu?
As you probably know, he’s the figure who established the Japanese tea ceremony, a key part of Japanese culture.
But he wasn’t just a tea master—he also served powerful warlords like Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and even had political influence.
What kind of image do you have of him?
Since he was the person who perfected the tea ceremony, I imagine him as a quiet, small man.
Actually, believe it or not, he was a big man—about 180 cm(5.91 feet) tall!
Considering the average height in the Sengoku period was around 155 cm(5.09 feet), he was really tall for his time.
Wow, that’s surprising!
It’s interesting that someone who was a cultural figure was bigger than the samurai around him.
That contrast makes him even more intriguing!
Right? But that’s not the only surprising thing about him.
His real name was Tanaka Yoshiro, and he was actually the son of a fishmonger.
By the way, “Tanaka” is the fourth most common surname in Japan.
Wait, he was a fishmonger’s son?
That’s quite a rise to prominence!
But how did a fishmonger’s child master the tea ceremony and even serve such powerful figures?
That’s a long story, but if you’re curious, you should look into it.
His life was truly dramatic, and I think you’d find it fascinating!
If you come to Japan, definitely try matcha.
You’ll get to experience the tea world that I loved so much.
