- Omotesenke
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Omotesenke (表千家, lit. "front Sen house/family") is the name of one of the three houses or families (家) that count their family founder as Sen Rikyū and are dedicated to carrying forward the Way of Tea that he developed. The other two are Urasenke and Mushakōjisenke. The three are together referred to as the san-Senke (三千家; lit, "three Sen houses/families"). The hereditary name of the head (iemoto) of this line of the family is Sōsa.
The Omotesenke estate, known by the name of its representative tea room, the "Fushin-an" (不審庵), was where Sen Rikyū's son-in-law, Sen Shōan, reestablished the Kyoto Sen household after Rikyū's death. It is located on Ogawa street in the Kamigyō ward of Kyoto. Shōan's son Sōtan soon succeeded as the family heir and head of this estate. The next heir to the estate and family tradition was Sōtan's third son, Kōshin Sōsa, counted as the fourth generation in the Omotesenke family line. Sōtan, when he was ready to retire and gave the headship of the family over to Kōshin Sōsa, established his retirement quarters on adjacent property in the north, building a tiny tea room there, the "Konnichi-an" (今日庵）. Eventually, Sōtan's youngest son, Sensō Sōshitsu, inherited that part of the estate, which came to known as the home of the Urasenke.
There are small stylistic differences between the different schools. For example, the Omotesenke school whisks the tea less than the Urasenke school, creating less foam on the top of the tea. Also, Omotesenke uses a susudake chasen, or darkened-bamboo tea whisk, while Urasenke uses untreated bamboo for its chasen or tea whisk.
The Fushin-an estate, where the 3rd generation, Sōtan, lived until retirement, is the home and headquarters of Omotesenke.
The Kitayama Kaikan in Kyoto is a relatively modern Omotesenke facility, where Omotesenke sponsors exhibitions, lectures, and other educational programs for the general public.
Contents
Licenses and course of study
Licenses or permissions are called kyojō (許状), menjō (免状) or sōden (相伝). They allow students to study certain tea procedures.
License Requirements Notes Nyūmon (入門 entrance） Starting with warigeiko (割稽古 basics) and ryakutemae, basic light tea and thick tea and charcoal procedures and knowledge of Tea Ceremony students can apply for Nyūmon immediately or soon after starting their studies. Nyūmon and Naraigoto can be applied for at the same time. Naraigoto (習事 things to learn) kumiawasedate, shikumidate, nagao, bonkōgo, hanashomō, sumishomō Kazarimono (飾物 display) jikukazari, tsubokazari, chairekazari, chawankazari, chashakukazari, daikazari, chasenkazari Satsūbako (茶通箱 tea box) procedures using the Satsūbako Karamono (唐物 Chinese ware) procedures using Chinese wares -tea name
-Kōshi (講師 teaching permission)
Daitenmoku (台天目) procedures using the tenmokudai Bonten (盆点) procedures using a square tray Kyōju (教授 professor) Midarekazari (乱飾) procedures using a daisu Shindaisu (真台子 formal tana) procedures using a formal daisu Warigeiko
The first skills a student in any Tea school learns are the warigeiko, literally divided or separate training. The warigeiko are skills practiced separately from actual temae (tea or charcoal procedures); since they form the basis of temae, they must be acquired before a student begins making tea. They include:
- Basic tea room knowledge
- opening and closing sliding doors; walking in the tea room; how and where to sit; how and when to bow; basic guest behaviour including use of fans
- Fukusa
- folding, opening and handling the fukusa
- Natsume
- the natsume is the first type of tea container students learn to use. Skills include how to fill the container with tea; how to pick it up, hold it, and put it down; how to purify it
- Chashaku
- how to handle and purify the tea scoop
- Hishaku
- how to handle the ladle; special movements for hot and cold water
- Chasen
- how to handle the tea whisk; how to whisk tea
- Chakin
- how to fold the tea cloth; how to use it to clean the tea bowl
- Chawan
- how to handle the tea bowl as both a host and a guest
Generations
Generation 1st Rikyu Sōeki (1522-1591) 利休 宗易 Hōsensai 抛筌斎 2nd Shōan Sōjun (1546-1614) 少庵 宗淳 3rd Genpaku Sōtan (1578-1658) 元伯 宗旦 Totsutotsusai 咄々斎 4th Kōshin Sōsa (1613-1672) 江岑 宗左 Hōgensai 逢源斎 5th Ryōkyū Sōsa (1650-1691) 良休 宗佐 Zuiryūsai 随流斎 6th Gensō Sōsa (1678-1730) 原叟 宗左 Kakkakusai 覚々斎 7th Ten'nen Sōsa (1705-1751) 天然 宗左 Joshinsai 如心斎 8th Ken'ō Sōsa (1744-1808) 件翁 宗左 Sottakusai 啐啄斎 9th Kōshuku Sōsa (1775-1825) 曠叔 宗左 Ryōryōsai 了々斎 10th Shōō Sōsa (1818-60) 祥翁 宗左 Kyūkōsai 吸江斎 11th Zuiō Sōsa (1837-1910) 瑞翁 宗左 Rokurokusai 碌々斎 12th Keiō Sōsa (1863-1937) 敬翁 宗左 Seisai 惺斎 13th Mujin Sōsa (1901-1979) 無盡 宗左 Sokuchūsai 即中斎 14th (current iemoto) Sōsa (1938-) 宗左 Jimyōsai 而妙斎 See also
External links
- Omotesenke Website (English)
- http://omote-usa.org the website of Omotesenke tea ceremony practice in Florida, USA
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