Kamiya Sotan

Japanese: 神屋宗湛 - かみや・そうたん

Year of death: 28th October 12th Kan'ei (7th December 1635)
Year of birth: Tenbun 22.1.1 (1553.1.14)
A wealthy merchant and tea master from Hakata, Chikuzen during the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. Commonly known as Zenshiro, his pen name was Sadakiyo, and he shaved his head and took the name Okiansai Koreshosotan. He was the sixth head of the Kamiya family and the son of Shosaku. To avoid the flames of war in Hakata, he fled to Karatsu with his family. In the winter of 1586 (Tensho 14), he was invited by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to Kyoto, where he was ordained under Kokei Sochin of Daitoku-ji Temple as his preceptor. At a large tea ceremony held at Osaka Castle in January of the following year, Hideyoshi directly called out to him, saying, "Who are you, the monk from Tsukushi?", "You people here, give a performance to just one monk from Tsukushi," "Give a meal to the monk from Tsukushi," "Ask that monk from Tsukushi to have one cup of tea worth 40 koku," and "Take a performance from Nitta Katatsukite." Hideyoshi then directly spoke to him, and he was able to save face. He later accompanied Hideyoshi on an inspection of the burned ruins of Hakata, and assisted him in the division of Hakata town by using a fishing pole. He also invited Hideyoshi to the Sotan Tea House. He worked for Hideyoshi as a logistics base merchant, building townhouses in Najima and Hakata, and collecting military rice for Hakata. He also donated silver to Kuroda Nagamasa when he built Fukuoka Castle, and was on good terms with Nagamasa's father, Takataka. Later, the feudal lord Kuroda Tadayuki confiscated his family heirloom, a Hakata Bunrin tea caddy, and he gave up his life as a tea master. <Works> "Sotan Diary" <References> Takeno Yoko "The Wealthy Merchant of Hakata"

(Yoko Takeno)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：寛永12.10.28(1635.12.7)
生年：天文22.1.1(1553.1.14)
安土桃山・江戸前期の筑前博多の豪商,茶人。通称善四郎,字は貞清,剃髪して置安斎惟精宗湛。神屋家6代目で紹策の子。博多の戦火を避けて家族と共に唐津に避難。天正14(1586)年冬,豊臣秀吉の招きで上洛,大徳寺の古渓宗陳を戒師として得度した。翌15年1月の大坂城での大茶湯会で,「筑紫ノ坊主ドレゾ」「ノコリノ者共ハノケテ筑紫ノ坊主一人ニ能ミセヨ」「ツクシノ坊主ニメシヲクワセヨ」「ソノ筑紫ノ坊主ニハ四十石ノ茶ヲ一服トックリトノマセヨヤ」「新田肩衝手ニトリテミセヨ」と秀吉より直接声をかけられ面目をほどこした。その後秀吉のお供で博多の焼け跡を検分し,博多町割りのとき,間竿を使って秀吉を助けた。また宗湛茶室に秀吉を招いた。名島,博多の町家の建設,博多への兵糧米の集荷など兵站基地商人として秀吉のために働いた。黒田長政の福岡城建設にも銀を献上し,長政の父孝高とは水魚の交わりをした。のち藩主黒田忠之により家宝の博多文琳(茶入れ)を召し上げられ茶人としての命を捨てた。<著作>『宗湛日記』<参考文献>武野要子『博多の豪商』

(武野要子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Japanese cedar - Japanese cedar

>>: Kamiyaku [town] - Kamiyaku