Takeno Joo
Encyclopedia
was a master of the tea ceremony
and a well-known merchant
during the Sengoku period
of the 16th century in Japan
. His name has come down in Japanese cultural history because he followed Murata Jukō
as an early proponent of wabi-cha
, and was chanoyu teacher to Sen Rikyū.
It is believed that the family descended from the Takeda clan who were guardians of Wakasa province
. His father, Nobuhisa, changed the family name to Takeno, and after roaming the country, settled in Sakai
, where he built up a thriving business dealing in leather goods used by warriors. Nobuhisa married the daughter of a priest of Kōfukuji temple in Yamato Province
(present-day Nara Prefecture), Jōō's mother.
While carrying on the family business in Sakai, Jōō, whose common name was Shingorō (新五郎), did religious duty as an attendant at the Honganji temple in the Yamashina
region of Kyoto. In 1532, he took the tonsure and came to be known as Jōō. Evidence shows that until the age of thirty-five, he aspired to become a teacher of renga
(group poetry composition involving verse-linking). In Kyoto, he was able to learn the secrets of waka
(Japanese poetry) from the aristocratic master of the art, Sanjōnishi Sanetaka. Being extremely wealthy, Jōō was able to amass an impressive collection of classical works on the art of waka.
In Kyoto city, chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony
) had suddenly risen in prominence, and Jōō became interested in developing a style that was suited to the people's customs in Sakai rather than Kyoto. Sanjōnishi and his renga circle were influential in this development, as was the Zen training that Jōō underwent.
Two of his important chanoyu pupils in Sakai were the wealthy merchant Imai Sōkyū
, who was married to his daughter, and Sen Rikyū. Eventually he became reputed as the foremost chanoyu master in Sakai.
When he died in 1555, his legitimate son, Takeno Shingorō (a.k.a. Takeno Sōga 武野宗瓦; 1550-1614), was a mere six years old. Shingorō inherited his father's fabulous estate, and in time he too became known as a tea master. Imai Sōkyū acted as his guardian.
References
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
and a well-known merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
during the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
of the 16th century in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His name has come down in Japanese cultural history because he followed Murata Jukō
Murata Jukō
Murata Jukō is known in Japanese cultural history as the founder of chanoyu, in that he was the early developer of the wabi-cha style of tea enjoyment employing native Japanese implements. His name may also be pronounced Murata Shukō....
as an early proponent of wabi-cha
Wabi-cha
Wabi-cha Wabi-cha Wabi-cha (わび茶、侘茶、侘び茶）, or wabi-tea, is a style of Japanese tea ceremony particularly associated with Sen Rikyū and Takeno Jōō before him. Wabi-cha emphasizes simplicity...
, and was chanoyu teacher to Sen Rikyū.
It is believed that the family descended from the Takeda clan who were guardians of Wakasa province
Wakasa Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today southern Fukui Prefecture. It is also known as or .The province's ancient capital was at Obama, which continued to be the main castle town through the Edo period.-Neighboring Provinces:...
. His father, Nobuhisa, changed the family name to Takeno, and after roaming the country, settled in Sakai
Sakai, Osaka
is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...
, where he built up a thriving business dealing in leather goods used by warriors. Nobuhisa married the daughter of a priest of Kōfukuji temple in Yamato Province
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
(present-day Nara Prefecture), Jōō's mother.
While carrying on the family business in Sakai, Jōō, whose common name was Shingorō (新五郎), did religious duty as an attendant at the Honganji temple in the Yamashina
Yamashina
Yamashina is a Japanese family name, and can stand for:* Yamashina-no-miya ōke , the third oldest branch of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house, presently extinct* Yamashina-ku, Kyoto...
region of Kyoto. In 1532, he took the tonsure and came to be known as Jōō. Evidence shows that until the age of thirty-five, he aspired to become a teacher of renga
Renga
' is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry. A renga consists of at least two or stanzas, usually many more. The opening stanza of the renga, called the , became the basis for the modern haiku form of poetry....
(group poetry composition involving verse-linking). In Kyoto, he was able to learn the secrets of waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
(Japanese poetry) from the aristocratic master of the art, Sanjōnishi Sanetaka. Being extremely wealthy, Jōō was able to amass an impressive collection of classical works on the art of waka.
In Kyoto city, chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
) had suddenly risen in prominence, and Jōō became interested in developing a style that was suited to the people's customs in Sakai rather than Kyoto. Sanjōnishi and his renga circle were influential in this development, as was the Zen training that Jōō underwent.
Two of his important chanoyu pupils in Sakai were the wealthy merchant Imai Sōkyū
Imai Sokyu
was an important 16th century merchant in the Japanese port town of Sakai, and a master of the tea ceremony. His yagō was Naya.A relative of the Amago and Sasaki samurai clans, Sōkyū originally came from Yamato Province. After settling in Sakai, he studied the tea ceremony under Takeno Jōō,...
, who was married to his daughter, and Sen Rikyū. Eventually he became reputed as the foremost chanoyu master in Sakai.
When he died in 1555, his legitimate son, Takeno Shingorō (a.k.a. Takeno Sōga 武野宗瓦; 1550-1614), was a mere six years old. Shingorō inherited his father's fabulous estate, and in time he too became known as a tea master. Imai Sōkyū acted as his guardian.
References