The formation of the “Seven Rituals” tea complex and the mentorship system in the Japanese tea school Omotesenke

Abstract

The “Seven Rituals” (^Ж^ shichiji-shiki) is a relatively new complex of ceremonies within the art of tea (^®^ cha-no-yu), representing a specific ritualized form of communal tea drinking, created in the mid-Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. The founders of this complex are considered to be the 7th patriarch of the Omotesenke school of Japanese tea, Joshinsai, and the 8th patriarch of the Urasenke school, Yugensai. However, significant contributions to the creation of this complex were also made by many outstanding individuals of that era, among whom Joshinsai's student, Kawakami Fuhaku, stands out especially.

Fuhaku's participation in the creation of the ceremonies was made possible by a specific mentorship system that existed in the tea schools of the Edo period. Therefore, when studying the creation of the Seven Rituals complex, it is important to consider the personality of this distinguished figure in the tea art, the founder of the Edosenke tea school, and his relationship with his teacher, Joshinsai.

This article examines the teaching of students within the Omotesenke tea school, discusses the characteristic rituals that are part of the training in tea schools, and demonstrates the inseparable connection of this training with Buddhist education. In the context of the formation of the Seven Rituals, the transformations that occurred in the tea art during the Edo period are also analyzed.