Episode 56 – The Tea Master

This week, we’ll be talking about Japan’s great tea master Sen no Rikyu. We’ll discuss his life, his rapid rise to cultural ascendancy, his even more rapid fall, and his legacy for modern Japan.

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

Sansom, George B. A History of Japan, Vol 2: 1334-1615

Totman, Conrad. A History of Japan.

Images

A somewhat modern photograph of the Chanoyu, or tea ceremony.
A somewhat modern photograph of the Chanoyu, or tea ceremony.
Momoyama Castle, the headquarters of Hideyoshi.
Momoyama Castle, the headquarters of Hideyoshi.
Sen no Rikyu, Japan's greatest Tea Master.
Sen no Rikyu, Japan’s greatest Tea Master.
This is a period image of Oda Nobunaga, the first of the three unifiers.
This is a period image of Oda Nobunaga, the first of the three unifiers.
This image of Toyotomi Hideyoshi dates from 1601, three years after his death.
This image of Toyotomi Hideyoshi dates from 1601, three years after his death.

 

4 thoughts on “Episode 56 – The Tea Master”

  1. I might be having a moment, but I can’t find the link to download the MP3 in the post.

    1. Good catch. Should be fixed now; please comment or email me if it’s not working within 20 minutes or so.

      Sorry, and thanks for letting me know!

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