Urasenke - Urasenke

One of the schools of tea ceremony founded by Sen no Rikyu. Along with Omotesenke and Mushanokojisenke, it is known as one of the Three Senke schools. It is commonly known as Konnichian. After Rikyu committed seppuku in 1591 (Tensho 19), his adopted son Shoan Sojun (1546-1614) became the second head of the Sen family, but he soon retired and handed the Sen family over to his son Sotan (1578-1658). Sotan entered Daitokuji Temple at a young age and served as a samurai under Shun'oku Soen, but when the Sen family was allowed to be re-established, he returned to secular life and protected the Rikyu ruins together with Shoan. Sotan had two sons, Sosetsu and Munemori, at a young age, but when his father Shoan went on a long journey, he took Soken as his second wife and had three children, Koshin Sosa, Kure, and Senso Soshitsu. After that, as Sotan's name as a wabi grew, he became friends with Konoe Nobuhiro, Karasuma Mitsuhiro, and Honami Koetsu, and was treated well by Tofukumon'in, the Empress of Emperor Gomizunoo. Sosa went on to serve the Kishu Tokugawa family, and Soshitsu went on to serve the Kaga Maeda family. But Sotan himself refused all the advice from those around him and lived a solitary life without serving a feudal lord. That is why he is called "beggar Sotan." During that time, however, he trained many of his most accomplished disciples, including Yamada Souhen, Fujimura Yoken, Sugiki Fusai, and Miyake Boyo, who are known as the Four Heavenly Kings of Sotan. Later, at the age of 71, he handed over Fushin'an to Soza and moved to Kon'an Kanuntei, which he built to the north ura of the same place, together with his youngest son, Senso Soshitsu (this later became known as Urasenke). A few years later, he built Yuin, but handed it over to Senso before passing away at the age of 81. At this point, Goshin Soza's Fushin'an (Omotesenke), Senso's Kon'an (Urasenke), and later Ichio Soshu's Kankyu'an (Mushanokojisenke) all became independent, and the Three Senke schools were established.

The 4th head priest, Senso Soshitsu (1622-1697), initially aspired to be a doctor and studied medicine under Noma Gentaku, taking the name Genshitsu. After his teacher's death, he devoted himself to the tea ceremony. Incidentally, the name Genshitsu was used either before he inherited the iemoto position or after he retired, and after Senso inherited the iemoto position he took the name Soshitsu. Senso served Maeda Toshitsune, the lord of Kaga, and became the tea ceremony tea utensil magistrate. During that time, he also had the potter Chozaemon make Ohi ware and Miyazaki Kanchi make kama (potters). The 5th head priest, Joso Soshitsu (1673-1704), succeeded Senso as the tea ceremony and tea utensil magistrate of the Kaga domain, but was later given the position of tea ceremony magistrate of the Hisamatsu family of the Iyo Matsuyama domain. From then on, the Urasenke served both domains until the end of the Edo period. However, Joso died at the young age of 32. He was known by the pen name Fukyusai.

The 6th Rokukansai Soan (1694-1726) was born as the eldest son of Josho, but lost his father at the age of 11, and was trained in the tea ceremony by Kakujosai and Joshinsai of the Omotesenke school, with whom he is said to have had a closer relationship than that of a brother. Rokukansai also studied Confucianism under Ito Togai, and was skilled in Noh plays, Kyogen, painting, and calligraphy. However, he served Lord Hisamatsu of Matsuyama in Edo, where he died at the age of 33 in his residence. He took the pseudonym Taiso. His younger sister later shaved her head and entered the Kitano nunnery Saihoji, where she called herself Sosenni and became the guardian of Chikuso Soken and Itto Soshitsu, and became the 30th chief priest of the temple. The 7th head priest, Chikuso Soken (1709-1733), was born as the second son of the 6th head priest, Genso, of the Omotesenke school, but was adopted by Rokukansai as he had no children. He served as a magistrate in the Kaga and Iyo domains, but died at the age of 25. He was also known by the pseudonym Saisai.

The 8th headmaster Itto Soshitsu (1719-1771) was adopted by the Omotesenke school after the early death of his elder brother Chikuso. He succeeded as head of the school at the age of 15 and was mentored by his elder brother Joshinsai. Together they practiced and established the Shichijishiki (Ceremony of Seven Events). He also had the pseudonyms Yugensai and Butsubutsuken. His disciple Hayami Sotatsu served Lord Ikeda of Bizen and later founded the Hayami school. He was succeeded by the 9th headmaster Sekio Genshitsu (1746-1801) and the 10th headmaster Nintokusai Soshitsu (1770-1826).

The 11th head priest, Gengensai Soshitsu (1810-1877), was born to Matsudaira Noritomo, the lord of Okudono in Mikawa Province, and was adopted into the Urasenke school at the age of 10. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Rikyu's death, he expanded the main gate, Totsutsusai, the Great Hearth Room, Hosensai, and Rikyudo Seijakuin. He also took the pen names Fuwō and Kyohakusai. The school has been headed by the 12th abbot, Yumyosai Genshitsu (1853-1917), the 13th abbot, Ennosai Genshitsu (1872-1924), the 14th abbot, Tantansai Genshitsu (1893-1964), and the 15th abbot, Hounsai Genshitsu (1923- ), and is currently headed by the 16th abbot, Zabosai Genshitsu (1956- ), who is located in Teranouchiagaru, Ogawa-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City.

[Kouichi Tsutsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

千利休(せんのりきゅう)を祖とする茶道の流派の一つ。表千家、武者小路千家(むしゃのこうじせんけ)とともに三千家とよばれている。「今日庵(こんにちあん)」の名で通称される。1591年（天正19）利休切腹のあと、養嗣子(ようしし)の少庵宗淳(そうじゅん)（1546―1614）が2世となったが、まもなく子の宗旦(そうたん)（1578―1658）に千家を譲って隠棲(いんせい)した。宗旦は幼くして大徳寺に入り、春屋宗園(しゅんおくそうえん)のもとに喝食(かっしき)として侍していたが、千家の再興が許されるや還俗(げんぞく)して、少庵とともに利休遺跡を守った。宗旦は若くして長男宗拙(そうせつ)、次男宗守をもうけているが、父少庵が遠行したころに宗見(そうけん)を後妻として迎え、江岑宗左(こうしんそうさ)、くれ、仙叟宗室(せんそうそうしつ)の3子をもうけている。その後、わび宗旦の名があがるとともに、近衛信尋(このえのぶひろ)、烏丸光広(からすまるみつひろ)、本阿弥光悦(ほんあみこうえつ)らと親交し、後水尾天皇(ごみずのおてんのう)の中宮東福門院の知遇を受け、さらに宗左は紀州徳川家、宗室は加賀前田家に仕えることになった。しかし宗旦自身は周囲の勧めをいっさい断って、大名に仕えることなく一人孤高を守った。「乞食宗旦」と称されるのはそのためである。だがその間に、宗旦四天王といわれる山田宗徧(そうへん)、藤村庸軒(ようけん)、杉木普斎(ふさい)、三宅亡羊(みやけぼうよう)らの高弟を育てている。その後71歳になったときに、不審庵(ふしんあん)を宗左に譲り、末子の仙叟宗室とともに、同所の北裏に建てた今日庵寒雲亭に移り住んでいる（このことが後年裏千家と俗称されることになった）。さらに数年後には又隠(ゆういん)を建てたが、これらを仙叟に譲って81歳で他界した。ここに江岑宗左の「不審庵」（表千家）、仙叟宗室の「今日庵」（裏千家）、のちに一翁宗守(いちおうそうしゅ)の建てた「官休庵」（武者小路千家）がともに独立し、三千家が成立したのである。

　4世仙叟宗室（1622―1697）は、初め医師を志し、野間玄琢(げんたく)について医学を修業、玄室と称したが、師の没後、茶道に専念するようになった。ちなみに玄室の名は家元を継承する前か、隠居後に用いられ、仙叟以後、家元を継承してからは宗室を襲名している。仙叟は加賀藩主前田利常(としつね)に仕え、茶道茶具奉行(ぶぎょう)となっている。またその間に陶工長左衛門に大樋焼(おおひやき)を、宮崎寒雉(かんち)に釜(かま)をつくらせている。5世常叟宗室(じょうそうそうしつ)（1673―1704）は、仙叟他界の跡を継いで加賀藩の茶道茶具奉行となったが、のち伊予松山藩久松家の茶道奉行として知行を与えられている。以後裏千家では幕末に至るまで両藩に仕えた。しかしながら常叟は32歳の若さで生涯を終えている。不休斎の号がある。

　6世六閑斎(りっかんさい)宗安（1694―1726）は、常叟の長男として生まれたが、11歳で父を失ったため、表千家の覚々斎、如心斎から茶道の薫陶を受け、とくに如心斎とは兄弟以上に親交したといわれる。六閑斎はまた伊藤東涯(とうがい)について儒学を学び、謡曲、狂言、画、書なども巧みであった。しかし松山藩主久松侯に仕えて江戸に出府中、その屋敷内で33歳の生涯を終えている。泰叟と別号する。妹はのち剃髪して北野の尼寺西方寺に入り、祖仙尼と称して竺叟宗乾(ちくそうそうけん)、一燈宗室の後見をなし、同寺の第30世住職となっている。7世竺叟宗乾（1709―1733）は、表千家6世原叟(げんそう)の次男として誕生したが、六閑斎に子がなかったため養子として迎えられた。加賀藩、伊予藩に奉行として出仕したが、25歳で没している。最々斎と別号する。

　8世一燈宗室（1719―1771）は、兄竺叟の早世により、表千家から養子として迎えられた。15歳で家元を継承し、長兄如心斎に薫陶を受け、ともに修行を重ねて七事式(しちじしき)を制定した。又玄斎(ゆうげんさい)、勿々軒(ぶつぶつけん)の別号がある。高弟の速水宗達(はやみそうたつ)は備前(びぜん)池田侯に仕え、のち速水流をおこしている。以後、9世石翁玄室(せきおうげんしつ)（1746―1801）、10世認得斎(にんとくさい)宗室（1770―1826）と続いた。

　11世玄々斎宗室（1810―1877）は、三河国奥殿(おくどの)領主大給(おぎゅう)松平乗友の子として生まれ、10歳で裏千家に養子として迎えられている。利休二百五十回忌を機に、表門、咄々斎(とつとつさい)、大炉の間、抛筌斎(ほうせんさい)、利休堂清寂院などを増築した。不忘、虚白斎(きょはくさい)と号する。12世又玅斎玄室(ゆうみょうさいげんしつ)（1853―1917）、13世円能斎宗室（1872―1924）、14世淡々斎宗室（1893―1964）、15世鵬雲斎(ほううんさい)宗室（1923―　）を経て、現在16世坐忘斎(ざぼうさい)宗室（1956―　）が家元（京都市上京区小川通寺之内上ル）を継承している。

［筒井紘一］

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